Rota and Beyond
by jrrm64
Summary: Another old story I found and I'm posting again.


October, 2006

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo stood in MTAC along with Director Jenny Shepard staring at the exaggeratedly large image of an African American man with a moustache chewing on a toothpick on the MTAC screen.

"Deputy Director Leon Vance, this is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," the red haired Jenny introduced the two men.

"Armani suit, DiNozzo?" asked Vance.

"I tend to like Italian designers, sir," answered DiNozzo.

"I'll have to remember that," laughed Vance, though in the back of his mind he noted to double check DiNozzo record. He might have possibilities for other jobs. Gibbs might not be an easy man, but he was a great agent and once upon a time he thought highly of DiNozzo.

"Tony has accepted the Rota job, Leon," Jenny stated.

Leon Vance smiled: "We need someone there yesterday. I've skimmed your record, Agent DiNozzo, and though I disagree with some of your methods and wished you had better computer skills, you're background with the DC number one MCRT will be invaluable there."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment, thank you," Tony said hesitantly.

"For Leon that was a compliment, Tony," laughed Jenny.

"I expect you on a transport to Rota tomorrow, DiNozzo," said Vance.

"I look forward to it," Tony said.

"Spanish and Italian, good language skills to have there. I expect a great deal from you, Agent DiNozzo," said Vance then the screen went blank.

"Make a friend of Leon Vance, Tony, and your career in NCIS is as high as you want to go," Jenny said. "Once I'm gone on to my next job, he'll be the next director."

"Well, Jenny, you're still Director Shepard now," he said.

"And as director and your friend, I am going to offer you a service, I'll tell Gibbs that you are gone for you since you don't have much time to get things together," she said.

"Thanks, Jenny, though I don't really think he'll care who he hears it from. When I don't show up tomorrow, he won't even miss me. Gibbs hasn't been the same since he came back from Mexico."

"He's no longer your problem, Tony. Go home and get packed and I'll announce you are gone tomorrow when you're on the transport to Spain," she smiled.

"Thanks, Jen," he said then he paused. "I am worried about him you know."

"I've noticed he has gaps in his memory and calls Ziva by Kate occasionally. It's still the after effects from getting blown up and concussed into a coma. I spoke to a doctor and he says that all his memories will return eventually. We just have to be patient with him," she said.

"Yeah, I think a lot of those memories involve me because I make him feel uncomfortable now. I can see it in his eyes. He doesn't even want to talk to me lately or have me around. He'll talk to McGee and Ziva, but he just gives orders to me. Jen, he doesn't even treat me like I'm his senior field agent," he said.

"When he remembers everything, he'll have real regrets. Tony, you were very important to him. You know that?" she said.

"I guess. I'm no longer sure what I am to him," he agreed quietly trying to suppress his real feelings towards Gibbs which was as a surrogate father. "I just want to get out of here and not cause any more awkwardness. I don't think the time can take it."

"You're doing the right thing taking this promotion. It will be good for you and for the DC team. I saw how Agent McGee and Officer David fought your leadership while Gibbs was gone. They need time to see what they are missing with you gone," Jenny assured him.

"Am I being a coward not talking to him before I go, Jen?" he asked her. "Maybe I should talk to McGee and Ziva, too?"

"No, you're letting everyone and their bruised egos and hurt feeling have some space for now. Don't worry, Tony, I'll take care of this," she said and he nodded in agreement.

Mossad Liaison Officer Ziva David whisked into the bullpen thinking she was late only to see that Gibbs' desk was still empty as well as the senior field agent's desk was empty, also. At least, McGee was at work. She smiled.

"McGee," Ziva called for his attention.

McGee looked over at her: "Yeah, Ziva?"

"Where's Gibbs?" she asked as she pulled her think black hair back and tied it off.

"In Director Shepard's office. He's been there for a while now. I don't know what they are talking about," he answered.

"And Tony?" asked Ziva.

"I have no idea," he said. "Probably late again. You know him he probably has car trouble or his alarm didn't wake him. One of his usual excuses that he pulls out a couple of times a week."

She smiled and chuckled: "He will be in trouble with Gibbs."

"That's happening a lot lately with him and Gibbs," said McGee.

"I know. Maybe we should talk to him as his partners. I think Tony is starting to get frustrated by Gibbs. He has been quiet lately," she said.

"Maybe you should. He doesn't listen to me. I'm just the probie," said McGee.

"He stopped listening to me when Gibbs left and he took charge. He became Mr. Big Shot to us," she said.

"Well, I'm glad that Gibbs is back," smile McGee.

"And that Tony is back where he belongs," she laughed.

It was then that a dour Dr. Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, and Abby exited the elevator and strolled into the MCRT bullpen. Ducky walked over to Tony's desk and sat down. Ziva looked over at Ducky. She noticed he looked sad as he picked up Tony's Mighty Mouse stapler then he slipped it into the pocket of his white medical coat. Abby and Jimmy stayed close to Tony's desk. They acted as if they had a raincloud over their heads.

"What are you guys doing up here?" asked McGee.

"Director Shepard is going to make an announcement at any moment. She gave us forewarning about it, so we decided to come up," Ducky said.

"Is it bad news?" asked Ziva. "Has someone died?"

Abby rolled her eyes. Just then the silver and black hair of hair of Gibbs could be seen over the railing then his whole body was visible as he strode down the stairs from the mezzanine. Stroking a moustache that most people hoped would be temporary; he strode without a word to his desk and sat down. _Why do I feel that losing DiNozzo means more to me than I am feeling? God, it's like I've forgotten things about him, things I should remember, important things. _

Jenny Shepard appeared on the Mezzanine. After talking to Gibbs she was feeling frustrated, if not more than a little angry, so she straighten out her business suit in order to give herself a moment to compose herself. It was time for the announcement. Occasionally, when the news was either really bad or really good the director would stand on the mezzanine and make an announcement, which would then reverberate throughout the rest of the NCIS headquarters. In her black suit she stood for a moment then spoke up: "I'd like to announce the promotion of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo to lead agent of the MCRT team in Rota, Spain. Unfortunately, due to his new responsibilities Agent DiNozzo is already on a transport to Spain, or I'm sure he'd a few words to say, or more than a few words to say."

Some people laughed at her implied joke about DiNozzo's talkative nature. With the announcement done Jenny started walking slowly down the stairs from the mezzanine to the where most of her agents were located. Ziva looked shocked. She had an up and down relationship with Tony, at moments she felt things for him that she knew where dangerous for her, such as love, and at other times she wanted to shoot him dead where he stood. But the one thing she knew was that she could always count on him to have her back. Now he was gone and she regretted it.

"Why?" asked McGee.

"Because he wanted off our team. His choice, his call. It's done. We're better off without him," answered Gibbs gruffly.

"I'm surprised he was offered the job," said McGee.

Ducky stood up and without saying a words stormed out of the bullpen with Jimmy in tow. Abby, the usually happy Goth, walked to the middle of the bullpen and said: "We were Tony's family and we failed him. He never failed us but we failed him."

She then stormed out of the bullpen.

Jenny walked into the MCRT bullpen and observed the look of distress on Ziva's face, which confirmed her opinion that Ziva was in love with Tony, while McGee now looked confused, which confirmed her opinion that McGee wasn't ready for primetime yet. He'd be a senior field agent someday but not yet.

"Jethro," she said, "you need to pick a new senior field agent."

"I want Stan back as my senior field agent," barked Gibbs.

"I'll ask him if he wants it. I know his wife is pregnant so maybe he'll like the idea of being on land instead of an agent afloat," she said.

"If he wants the job, it's his," he said. "He was a good senior field agent."

"Ziva," Jenny said then she walked up to her and handed her a letter from Tony. "Tony gave me this to give to you."

"Why?" she asked looking confused.

"Read it and find out, Ziva."

Jenny walked away. Ziva opened the letter and read it to herself:

Dear Zi,

If it wasn't for Rule 12, I'd have told you this in person and long before this: I love you. I think I fell in love with you the first day I saw you with hair tied up in a scarf and looking bold but lost. I know you don't reciprocate this feeling and I realize that you have a low opinion of me, but I wanted you to know how I felt. Of course, I know I'm being silly, acting like a teenager, telling you this. When you got into trouble with the Mossad and the FBI was after you and you went to Gibbs to get you out of trouble, I realized just how little faith you had in me. It hurt. Yet, I tried to understand it. You trusted him and you didn't trust me. I know you won't believe this but I would have given my life for you, Zi, and I still would. Stay out of trouble. I could not stand to hear that you were ever hurt. If you ever need me, I'll be there.

Love,

Tony

She finished reading and tears were biting at the edges of her eyes, but she ignored them. McGee was glancing over at her, but Gibbs just kept reading a report.

"You okay, Ziva?" asked McGee.

"I am fine, McGee. Just slightly annoyed."

"Only slightly?" Gibbs sarcastically asked.

"It's going to be strange without having Tony around," said McGee.

"It's going to be quiet," said Gibbs ending the conversation.

Chapter One

December 24, 2006, Rota, Spain.

Nearly two months and Rota and Tony still wasn't sure if he had made the right decision taking the position. He missed DC, Abby, Ducky, Jimmy, and even his old team. Sometimes he was sure he'd made the right decisions and then there were times he'd think of Ziva and her chocolate brown eyes and haughty smile and he was sure he had made a mistake. Rota was lonely for him. _I guess I grew too close to my old team. They were family. _

Tony had volunteered to work Christmas Eve and Christmas day, so that Cade and Barrett could spend the holiday with visiting family members. Dressed in faded jeans and OSU Football shirt he sat in the MCRT bullpen alone reviewing reports and submitting budgets to Vance. Besides himself there was a technician in MTAC and the ever present front desk security. Other than that everyone else was on standby so that they could enjoy the holiday.

_Feliz Navidad_ played for the umpteenth time on the radio followed by _Noche de Paz, Noche de Amor_. His senior field agent was Cassie Yates. He suddenly found himself thinking of her because of how she teased him for liking the song _Feliz Navidad_ so much. Rosie, his family cook, had taught him the song as a boy and it now reminded him of Christmas. Yet, she teased him and he smiled. _She has brown eyes I could get lost in and luscious black and soft brown skin. What the hell am I doing? I may not have a Rule 12 but she's my senior field agent._

"Hey, Penny for your thoughts, Tony," he heard Cassie's voice say.

He looked up to see was standing in front of his desk and he hadn't even noticed that she had come into the office.

"Damn, I zoned out. Sorry, Cass," he said.

She was dressed in jeans and a white dress shirt, which he noticed her breasts caused a strain on the buttons. It seemed like she was suppressing a smile, which made him wonder why. He also was curious why she was even here.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile. "You have the next few days off before New Year's Eve and mayhem hits Rota in the form of shore leave and drunken sailors and marines."

"Checking up on you, Boss," she said with a smile. "I know your first tour overseas can be a lonely one, especially during the holidays, so I thought I'd see how you were doing."

He laughed: "I've been spending holidays without family since I was twelve, Cass. This is second nature for me now. It doesn't bother me."

"Jesus, really?" she said her smile disappearing.

He wished he could take back what he had just said, so that her smile returned. It was such a lovely smile because it lit up her face. It was then that he noticed her hands were behind her back.

"What have you got hidden back there, Special Agent Yates?" he asked with a smile that melted her heart.

"Oh, a tradition that I thought you would be disappointed to miss out on, Tony. I heard about your reputation in DC," she said.

She brought her hands from behind her back. In her left hand she was holding nothing but in her right had she held some mistletoe. She then lifted it above her head and held it there then she smiled again, but this was a friendly smile. It was also an invitation.

"You know my reputation?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do," she smiled.

Tony swallowed. He had always been attracted to Cassie but after what happened to his relationship with Paula and then his extended flirtation with Kate, followed by the complicated and unrequited relationship he had with Ziva, he never even asked her out of a drink.

He stood up and came around the desk and stood in front of her. Being six inches taller than her he bent slightly and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Tony," she said.

Her brown eyes looked into his green eyes. They seemed to ask: was that the best kiss you had to offer? This time Tony put his right hand on the small of her back and brought her in close to him. She giggled at his bold gesture. With his left hand he ran it through her hair then brought her head back and kissed her properly. It lasted for a minute and at the end of it Cassie moaned and they both wanted more.

"We're all alone, right?" she whispered to him.

"Tech in MTAC, but otherwise I'm in charge and all by myself," he said.

"Carlos doesn't leave MTAC until he's relieved," she said then started to kiss his neck, while her hands found their way under his shirt. "Make love to me right here, Tony, then bring me home and do it again."

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," she said.

With her assignation, Tony made love to her right there in the bullpen. At first it was on his desk, but in the end they ended up on the floor with both of them getting rug burns and not caring about it. When they had finished, all she had on was her shirt and she sat in his lap, as he held her, while sitting in his chair.

"You sure about this, Cassie?" he asked her.

"Oh, yeah, DiNozzo, I'm sure. When can we leave for your place, so I can give you your Christmas gift?" she asked him then kissed him.

"This wasn't my Christmas gift?" he asked.

"This was a warm up."

"We can leave soon, very soon."

McGee, Abby, and Ziva sat in the cafeteria for a change because the snow was coming down too hard. McGee had a salad and a V8, while Abby picked at a sandwich and a CafPow. Ziva had the soup and a cup of tea.

"I miss Tony. He would have gone out and had a snowball fight with me. Before he got the plague he loved playing in the snow with me," sighed Abby.

"Yeah and Gibbs would have threatened to fire him for it if he did," laughed McGee.

"I thought you loved Stan, Abby," said Ziva.

"Oh, Stan is great. He's a real buddy and his family is great, but Tony became like a big brother to me in a way Stan never did," she admitted. "I really do miss him Ziva."

"Hey, did you hear about Agent Cassie Yates and Lead Agent DiNozzo," they overheard a MTAC technician say to another.

"No, what?"

"It seems they spent the Christmas holiday in Rota's office humping like rabbits," he laughed. "Carlos, who is a tech there, heard a female screaming and he left MTAC to see Agent Yates riding him on the floor."

"What did he do after that?" asked the tech.

"He's Spanish. He left them alone and went back to work," he said.

Abby noticed that Ziva was blushing. She wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, anger, or something else, but she would have to investigate it later.

"Tony and Cassie. Wow," said McGee. "They would make a hot, attractive couple. I got to remember that for my next book."

"More likely a lonely couple, too, McGee. Cassie is the only person Tony knows there. You know how he hates to be alone," said Abby. "I bet they are just consoling each other."

"If you say so, Abs," said McGee.

"I hope Gibbs does not hear about this. He is breaking the rules," said Ziva.

"Why? Because he's breaking Gibbs' Rules?" laughed Abby. "Tony is at least equal in rank to Gibbs now. He can have his own rules for his own team and Cassie is part of his team."

"I can see those rules. Rule number one, all female members must sleep with team leader," laughed McGee.

"Not funny, McGee," Abby warned him.

"At least, he is not lonely," Ziva said. _I guess he is over his feelings for me. _

"Of course, he's not lonely. I was a fool to think he was. Tony is handsome. He can find company anywhere. I worry about him feeling like his has no family," said Abby. "That's what Gibbs' memory problems took away from Tony. He never had much family in his life but we were it. Gibbs forgot that for a while."

"You know Gibbs regrets that now. He can't even hear Tony's name without looking upset," Ziva said.

"Maybe," Abby pouted. "He still has never called Tony to talk to him."

"Neither has Tony, Abby, called him," Ziva defended Gibbs.

"Ziva, do you think he misses us?"

"I would like to think he misses some of us," she said honestly.

"Well, I'm positive that he misses us. And I know that if you were in trouble, he'd do anything and everything to help you. That is the why Tony is," said Abby.

"I cannot argue with that, Abby. I know Tony would cover my six if I needed it."

"I'm glad you're not going to argue with me.'

"We wouldn't dare to argue with you, Abby, because as you always tell you: you can kill and make it look like a complete accident," McGee said.

"You're learning, Timmy."

"Oh, no," Abby's face went pale. "Timmy, come with me. We have to do Tony a favor."

"What?"

"Security tapes. Image if Jenny or Vance saw a security tape of him and Cassie doing it in the bullpen," she said then stood up and rushed into her lab followed by McGee and Ziva.

Abby went right to her computer and started to hack into the system. McGee joined her. They broke through security protocols and firewalls until they had reached their destination. Ziva watched them out of curiosity half wanting to believe that the gossip was false.

"Here we go. Christmas Eve and there is Tony. He's so cut in his football shirt. He loves his OSU gear," Abby sighed.

"Here's Cassie. She looks like she took him by surprise," said McGee.

_That tells us who is the aggressor in this, _Ziva thought.

"They are talking," remarked Ziva then she saw Tony kiss her on the cheek. "That is harmless. You don't have to erase that."

"No, I was afraid…," Abby stopped as Tony grabbed her and started to passionately kiss her. "Oh, my God."

For the next twenty minutes they watched in silence as the two special agents ended up naked on the desk then the floor. Abby was blushing.

"The rumors, and I mean all the rumors, about Tony are true. He's really hu…," she stopped her herself, as she noticed McGee was looking more than slightly embarrassed and annoyed.

"How long does this go on for?" Ziva asked annoyed by it but unable to take her eyes off of it.

Abby fast forwarded the tape an hour and they were now doing it again. This time Tony was seated in his chair and Cassie was riding him with everything she had.

"Oh, my," was all that Ziva would say, as she watched that.

"He's freaking Don Juan and Casanova rolled up in one," Abby said. "I'm think I might make a copy of this before I destroy it. I mean this is good stuff."

"Abby, why would you do that?" McGee asked in an annoyed tone.

"Have you watched at all what they're been doing? I'm thinking of giving it to my future boyfriends, so they can take notes. Timmy, he's really good," she said.

"You better erase it and we better get back to work before Gibbs fires us all," said Ziva.

"Good, then I can then go over to Spain and visit Tony," laughed Abby.

"Abby, erase it now," said Ziva.

Abby deleted two hours of security tape and sighed: "Bye, bye, Tony."

"It's for the best, Abby," said McGee.

"I know," Abby smiled then mumbled under her breath. "I should have made a copy."

"Let's get to work," said Ziva, who couldn't get certain images of Tony out of her mind. _I need a cold shower._

Tony had to admit that in Cassie he had met his match in terms of willingness to have sex anytime and anywhere. They were like two teens on a horny school trip breaking all the rules and enjoying every moment of it. It helped that there was no principal to catch them. There were also no complications or hoops for either one of them to have to jump through. It was simple and nice and the best time he had in years. And it didn't interfere with his job.

Their latest case someone had been stealing supplies and selling them on the black market. From small arms to food stuffs like MREs they disappeared in small quantities from one of the warehouses on the naval station in Rota. CCTV proved that whoever did this was smart. They short circuited the CCTV every time they stole something. It never happened on the same night or around the same time of the month. They varied times and days in order to keep from forming a pattern.

Tony's fear was that it was someone who knew someone at NCIS since there was no pattern to go by. Sometimes it occurred once a month, until Tony set up a stakeout then it stopped until the stakeout stopped. Whoever it was Tony was sure it was more than one person and they definitely had someone in NCIS feeding them information.

To counter this problem, he came up with a simple diversion. He was going on a short vacation, a week in Greece, putting Cassie in charge while he was gone. Instead of a team stakeout of the warehouse, he would be a one man stakeout. He'd single Cassie with a text if he came up with anything.

It was midnight in warehouse number two when he heard them enter. From the looks of it the thieves were three Petty officers who worked in supplies. Tony texted Cassie then he unholstered his Sig Sauer when he turned on the lights and let them know he was there. A short firefight later, he had one bullet in his side just under the bulletproof vest, and another on his right thigh, though he didn't let anyone know right away. By the time Cassie got there with the team, two of the three petty officers were dead and the third had a bullet in his ass to keep him from running away.

"Cassie," he said.

She could hear pain in his voice then she turned in time to see him hit the deck. Rushing to his side, she put pressure on the thigh wound while EJ applied pressure to his side wound. Cade called for a bus to take him to the base infirmary for immediate surgery.

"Hang on, Tony. We'll get you fixed up," Cassie told him.

"I trust you, Cass," he said.

Instead of being sent to a local hospital, he was rushed out to a hospital ship that had recently docked and had a first class trauma unit onboard. Cassie took the helicopter ride out to the ship with him, refusing to leave his side. _Stubborn bastard! Why did he have to do it all by himself. _

Ducky was regaling Ziva, Stan, and McGee with a tale from his youth while Gibbs watched and listened. It had taken some time but his team, his family, was finally getting back to normal. Jenny entered the bullpen looking more than slightly upset.

"Ducky, can I have a word with you?" she asked.

"Yes, of course, Director," he said.

"With Ducky you can't help but have more than one word," laughed Stan.

"Is there a problem, Director?" asked Ducky.

"I need you to talk to a doctor on the US Hope. Special Agent DiNozzo has been shot and he wants to discuss his medical record with someone who knows it. He was shocked to see that Tony survived the plague," she said.

"Do they need to talk to his next of kin?" asked Gibbs.

"Do not worry, Jethro, I can handle that, also. While you were in Mexico he made me his next of kin and medical proxy," said Ducky.

"The doctor is waiting to talk to you on MTAC," she said.

"Thank you, my dear, I'll do that right away," he said then he hustled off to take care of Tony.

"What happened?" asked Gibbs.

"Agent DiNozzo was on a one man stakeout. He took two bullets, killed two Petty officers and shot the third one in the ass, so he wouldn't get away. Cassie Yates is in charge until he's back on his feet again," she said.

"What the hell was he doing on a one man stakeout?" growled Gibbs.

"By the sounds of it, Jethro, he was emulating his mentor, you. He was playing by his own rules," Jenny caustically pointed out.

"I taught him my rules and they included trust your teammates," he said.

"You also taught him how to ignore your rules and go it alone when you want to protect your team from something," she defended Tony.

"He's not me," Gibbs said.

"He was close enough to you to be your son, Jethro, and you know that," she said then stormed away leaving Gibbs to follow her with his eyes.

_I screwed up with him. I forgot who he was and what he meant to me and now I don't know how to let him know that I remember_.

"Gibbs, is everything all right?" Ziva asked.

"Nothing, Ziva. Nothing."

_Good, now I can't worry about Tony without having to worry about Gibbs. Maybe I am getting weak like my father said, thought Ziva._

Cassie straddled Tony as he lay in his bed. Since the doctors told him not to get out of bed for a week before starting therapy, she found this was one of the few ways to get him following doctor's orders. She ground her hips faster and faster until she was the one moaning and ready to scream out with pleasure, which made Tony hold on even longer before he lost control. Finally, it ended in an explosion of screams and expletives as they both reached orgasm together.

She collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily but satisfied having spasms of post coital release. He put his arms around her holding her tightly to his chest.

"Gibbs used to threaten me with an ass kicking to keep me following doctor's orders. I like your method better than his," he chuckled.

"Oh, God, Tony, you are too much," she said then she gave him a long kiss on the mouth.

He refused to let her lips breakaway from him, as his tongue found her tongue and began a wrestling match. When he stopped kissing her, she saw a genuine smile on his face.

"Thank you, Cass," he said.

"For what?"

"Everything. I've never been so content with my life. You've wiped out any regrets I had over coming to Rota," he said.

"Listen, I know what we have isn't love, but it isn't bad, either," she said. _It isn't love because you won't let go of Ziva. _

"You sure it's not love," he said.

"I know your heart belongs to someone else. Maybe someone who doesn't deserve it, but she seems to own it," she said as she sat back up straddling him.

"Yeah, but you own my body," he said. He then tried to force Ziva out of his mind. _I wish she hadn't mentioned love. I need to show her I care about her. _

He leaned forward and took the nipple of her right breast in his mouth, nibbled on it then he began to suck on it when it became erect.

"Oh, God, Tony," she said softly then she felt him starting to get erect again. "Oh, God, Tony!"

"I told you that you owned my body," he said then transferred his mouth to her left nipple.

Cassie slid herself onto Tony causing both of them to moan in unison then she started a slowly grind as he continued to suckle on her breasts.

"Tony," she sighed.

"I'm all yours, Cassie," he said.

_I wish that were true, _she thought.

For the rest of the evening they alternated between having sex, watching movies, and snacking on whatever was in his apartment. He had no complaint, though before he fell asleep he thought about what she had said about someone else owned his heart. She was right. He wished it wasn't true, that his feelings for Ziva had finally fade or disappeared, but they hadn't change. He still loved her.

Cassie nude body moved against his. He loved the way she felt against him and on him. _Why isn't this enough? Why does Ziva continue to haunt me? I need more. I need to lose myself more in the job. Maybe Jenny or Vance will have another assignment for me soon. The more I do the less I think about the past and the better off I am. _

Cassie shifted beside me. He smiled as he remembered their evening of fun then he became sad. _I wish I loved her. She deserves to be loved. _

Chapter Two

May 20th, 2008. Rota, Spain.

Ducky and Abby enjoyed a good sleep in Tony's Rota, Spain apartment. His apartment was located in hear of Rota in a building that was by far the oldest Tony had ever lived in. As Ducky and Abby got up and came out of their guests rooms, Ducky took a tour of Tony's place.

"I see the Moorish influence of the architecture, very nice indeed, Anthony," Ducky pointed put as he strolled in the kitchen to see Abby hugging Tony from behind as he made them breakfast.

"I've come to really love this place, Duck, but I know I'll eventually have to leave here," said Tony.

"Breakfast smells delicious," said Ducky then smiled at him. If he had a grandson, he would hope he'd have been like Tony.

"I am making you a traditional Spanish breakfast," Tony said, who was dressed in an Armand Basi blue suit, a Spanish designer, and white custom dress shirt, but no tie. "We have toast with a soft cheese and ham along with cafe con leche and churros, which are like cinnamon donuts. I tell I've gained ten pounds since I've been here."

"I can attest to that," said Cassie Yates as she exited from the bedroom dressed in a black pant suit with a white shirt for work.

Tony gave the more than attractive African American woman a kiss, which drew a giggle from Abby.

"I can't believe you two hooked up here," she said remembering the security tape she erased. "Did you give in to his charms, Cassie?"

"I pursued him, Abby; he didn't pursue me," Cassie said.

"You're my senior agent, Cassie. I have rules, which I've broken for you," he said.

"But not a rule 12, thank God," smiled Ducky. "Always thought that one a silly rule which does not take into account human emotions."

Cassie, Abby and Ducky went to the dining room and sat as he brought in the café first then went back to get their breakfast. Abby immediately indulged in the café con leche and churros, While Cassie dunked her churros in the café con leche.

"This is delicious," Abby moaned.

"Dear boy, you have become a gourmet while you've lived here," Ducky said.

"No. I've just made an effort to fit in to the community. It helps my job with the locals if they accept me as one of them," he said, as he sat down.

"So how has the dating life been here in Rota for you two? Any exciting tales of sex and lust?" Abby asked.

"We've been living with each other for the past six months, right, Cas?" he smiled.

"Almost seven," she responded.

"It's really lovely that you two found each other here in Rota," said Ducky.

"Living with Cassie has given my life a stability I've never had before," Tony admitted.

"Oh, Tony," Abby said.

His smartphone rang: "Buenos dias."

"Que pasa?" asked Tony. "Si. Si. Pronto voy a estar en el trabajo."

He hung and looked at his three closest friends.

"You need to come to work with me," he said.

"What is wrong, Anthony?" asked Ducky.

"Jenny had a brain aneurysm while in California, She died on the operating table," he said. "I think Gibbs is going to need you both for emotional support."

"Oh, God, Tony," Abby started to cry.

He got up and took Abby into his arms to comforted her.

"Will you be coming back with us, Dear Boy, for her funeral?" asked Ducky. "You and she were very close."

"No, Duck. I need to be here. We are currently doing an investigation of the Naval Commanding Officer in charge of Rota. I have to be here for the end of that. His rank calls for me to be there," he said.

"I understand and so would Jenny. She was very proud of you, Anthony, and how well you have done here," he said.

"Thank you, Duck."

"Tony, I wish you could come back with us to DC. I miss you," she said.

"If Gibbs needs anything from me, let me know, Abs," he said.

"When was the last time you spoke to him, Anthony?" asked Ducky.

"Over two years ago."

"His memories are all back and his moustache is gone. He misses you, though he won't say it. He finally remembers you, the son he lost," Ducky said.

"I miss him, Duck, but…," he stopped.

"But he belongs here with me now," said Cassie not harshly but so that Tony had cover.

Tony smiled at this comment. "But we must think of Jenny now. I wish I could be at her funeral. Give my best to Ziva, also, they were close, very close friend."

"Oh, Tony, I wish you were coming home with us," she said.

He kissed the top of her head.

"One of these days you'll have to vacation in DC, though I do prefer visiting your exotic locals," Ducky said.

"Who knows, Duck, one of these days I may be stationed back in DC to do a job. I go where NCIS beckons," he said.

"You have changed, my dear boy," smiled Ducky.

As they entered the NCIS offices on the Naval Station in Rota, Tony saw his Senior Agent Cassie giving orders to EJ Barrett and the photographic memory and monster body of Simon Cade. This was his team.

"Hey, Boss," Cade said. "Vance is on the screen on MTAC waiting for you. He says that it is important."

"Ducky, Abby, that's Cade and EJ. Guys entertain them," he said then he took Cassie aside. "Get them on a transport back to DC."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek then rushed into MTAC.

"Tony," Vance said sounding relieved. "You heard?"

"Jenny's dead."

"I know she was a friend of yours, as well as being a director you flourished under," he said.

"Jenny had a lot of pros and cons about her, but I owe her for my current career path at NCIS. I will miss her, Leon," he said.

"Well, I'm now temporary acting Director," he said. "But that won't be for too long. I will be made permanent director in a matter of days."

In the two years they have worked together Tony had become one of Vance's most trusted agents. They had even become friends to the point that his son wanted to play football at OSU like Tony did and his daughter had a crush on him. Tony even visited and stayed with Leon when he had to follow a lead to San Diego.

"I know this is not the proper time for congratulations but I do know you can handle the job, Leon," Tony said.

Leon smiled. He knew he had Tony's trust and loyalty, which meant he had a strong ally and a talented agent he could use many ways.

"As long as I have the support of agents like you, I know that I can handle the job also," he said.

"You want a sitrep on Captain Hill's situation? Or are you tired of my handsome face and need to go."

He nodded yes then put a toothpick in his mouth and started chewing on it.

"He's having affairs with two different women. One is a local prostituta. She is no problem," he said prostitute in Spanish. "The other is a Friends of the Jihad member. She is a problem. He is compromised."

"Make him an offer, retirement or…," Loan started to say.

"Or I arrest him, strip him of rank, and pension," finished Tony.

"Yes."

"I've got Ducky and Abby here from the DC office. I'm sending them home as a priority. They'll be needed there. Is that okay?" he asked.

"Good idea," Leon said. "I have to move to DC now. My wife is going to hate this."

"Tell Jackie I know I know a good real estate agent in DC if she needs one," he said.

"I will."

"You expecting trouble?" he asked.

"There is a mole in NCIS headquarters. I'm going to have to shake things up pretty hard and put Gibbs on the mole's tracks," Vance said.

"Gibbs will find them," he said.

"I'm also going to need to send someone to take over the Europe and Africa Field Office in Naples, Italy. SAC Batali has requested early retirement," he said. "You know anyone who is fluent in Italian and who likes to wear Italian designer suits, Agent DiNozzo?"

"Potrei," answered Tony with a smile. "I just might."

"You would be the Special Agent in Charge, Tony. It's another step up the ladder. You'll run the whole office," he said. "Are you ready for that sort of responsibility?"

"Si," he said then he smiled.

"Let Special Yates know that she is in charge of the MCRT and get your ass to Naples ASAP. You can spend a couple of weeks learning from Batali before he goes off into a life of leisure," Vance said.

"I will, Leon."

"Oh, and Congratulations, SAC DiNozzo," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Director Vance," smiled Tony.

Cassie is either going to be thrilled with a long distant romance or she's going to kill me. With ever choice comes a consequence and in my case that usually means a good swift kick in the ass.

He walked out of MTAC he had just had a prayer answered, a new assignment which will take up even more of his time. If this kept up he'd eventually have no time for memories.

"Cassie, can I see you?" he called to her.

She broke off her conversation with Agent Barrett and Tony pointed to the conference. Entering the deserted conference, he shut the door and locked it. When he turned around Cassie put her arms around his neck and kissed, deeply, passionately.

"I wish we had time this morning to make love, but you had to make breakfast," she purred.

"Cass, I need to talk," he said.

She kissed him again.

"This isn't fair, hun. You're distracting me," he protested.

"I'm sorry and I'm sorry about Director Shepard. She was a great woman and director," she said.

"Vance is now in charge," he said.

"Okay," she said apprehensively knowing that Vance was a big fan of Tony's.

"He offered me the job of SAC in Naples," he said. "I'll be in charge of Europe and parts of Africa."

"What did you say?"

"Yes."

"What about us?" she asked trying to hide her emotions.

"You'll be in charge of the MCRT here and I thought we could work out a way of seeing each other. You know, maybe weekends in Greece or Tuscany. We can vacation in Rome. I don't want to lose my relationship with you," he said.

Cassie smiled even though her heart was breaking. She knew he meant what he said but it wouldn't be the same as living together.

"Hun, can we give this try?" he pleaded with her.

She kissed and then said softly: "Of course we can."

"Good. You know I want to make this work," he said to her.

"I know, Tony," she said then she kissed him on the cheek.

May 19, 2009 Naples, Italy

SAC Anthony DiNozzo, who wore a grey Dolce & Gabbana suit with a Dolce & Gabbana dress shirt and grey silk tie, stood in MTAC staring at Director Vance. Both men looked tired. It was 9 in the morning for Vance and 3 in the afternoon for Tony. Cassie and he had spent a final weekend together in Greece before she was to return to DC to take over Balboa's team. They had two days of sex then they said goodbye. He honestly didn't want it to be goodbye, but it was best for both them. Ever since his relationship with Cassie he had changed, no more hookups, no more one night stands. He realized that long term relationships gave him a stability he craved more and more the older he got. And now that was gone. She was gone.

When Tony got back from his final tryst, he had bad news waiting for him. Unfortunately, he was expecting this news. Besides saying goodbye to Cassie, Tony hadn't slept well since he heard through the intel scuttlebutt that a Mossad assassination team headed by Officer Ziva David had been taken down in Somalia while on a mission there to kill a terrorist. Tony immediately put Chad on the case to find out about survivors and where they might be held. Now he had to talk to Director Vance about what was to be done next.

"I talked to Deputy Director of Mossad Eli David and he told me that he is doing all he can at the moment, which isn't very much. Unfortunately, Mossad assassination teams are considered expendable, even if his daughter is part of the team," Vance said.

"Ziva is not expendable, Leon. She's one of us, even if she left us to take this mission her father offered her," Tony said. "I got Chad working on finding her location."

"And if he finds anything, Tony, what do you expect to do?" asked Vance.

"I will ask for permission to let me and a team of agents and a Seal team to go in there and take out the terrorists and collect intel on the cell and more," he said.

"I suppose you can't be talked out of leading the mission yourself," said Vance not wanting to let his fondness for the David family and Agent DiNozzo to color his decisions.

"Leon, she means something very important to me," he said.

"I've talked to her father and if we can get her back, she is ours. Because of the failure of mission, Israel will want to wash their hands of her. I can offer her fast track to US citizenship and a permanent position on Gibbs team as a special agent. I agree, Tony, she is one of us and we need to find out what happened to her. You have my permission to find out," he said.

"You're the best, Leon," he said.

"Now to business – how is Naples?" he asked.

"The mafia has threatened me with a horrific death because we shut down their drug smuggling ring where they were using Italian naval vessels," he said. "The Regina Marina top admirals are in trouble and the Italian government is offering us their thanks."

"How serious is the threat on your life?" he asked.

"I'll be safer in Somalia right now than I am right here," he laughed. "I'm sleeping on base."

"I don't like this, Tony."

"Don't worry, Leon, I've got so many people covering my six right now, I'm starting to feel like supermodel walking down the runway with all the eyes trained on her ass," he said.

"Keep me in the loop on Somalia."

"How is Gibbs' team handling Ziva's disappearance?" Tony asked.

"Not well. He's tight lipped about it, but you can see the strain on his team. They had become a tight unit then she was recalled by Mossad for the mission then she disappeared," he said.

"When I get her, Leon, I'm sending one of my agents back with her to make sure she gets to NCIS headquarters and is handed over to you then it's up to you to take care of her. I trust you," he said.

"I understand, SAC DiNozzo," he smiled and the screen went black.

Tony sat down in one of the movie theatre styles seats and looked at his watch. It was three fifteen. He had permission to get Ziva back, so now all he needed to do was find out where she was. He looked over one of his MTAC techs and said: "Get me a satellite hookup with a satellite over Somalia. Let's see if there are any busy spots."

Chapter Three

The terrorist camp was located in the semi-desert plain now as Guban which laid parallel to the Gulf of Aden, which was now for Somalian pirates. Tony was dressed in BDUs waiting to talk to the Seal commander in charge of the mission. Three stealth helicopters waited on the deck of the United States Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan.

Seal Commander Sean Thornton, a granite jaw with clear blue eyes and red hair, came into the ready room and looked at Tony, who was dressed in BDUs and looking a little green around the edges. The square jawed was dressed in BDUs also.

"Special Agent DiNozzo," he said.

"Please, call me Tony," Tony corrected him.

"Tony, you're four men totaled. I'm bringing twenty and we expect to rescue at least one. That's three stealth helicopters. We hang just above the ocean over the Gulf of Aden, going right into Somalia then to Guban, land on top of the terrorists eliminate with extreme prejudice then back on the copter, rely the coordinates to the Reagan. We take off and hand back from whence we came, while two jets fly in and lay waste to what's left of the camp. No survivors. Any questions?"

"None, but this is my mission. I'm the one who put it together and got the intel collected for it. I expect one thing: I'll be part of the Seal team which will look for the prisoner. I need to be there when she is found. It is critically important. Can that be done?" he said.

"Done," said Adams. "Get a couple hours of sleep then we are going to work."

"Understood."

"Oh, and Tony. Why didn't you just say she's the woman you love and instead trying to sell me on how critically important she is?" he asked.

"Commander, she is critically important… to me," he smiled.

"I get it," the seal commander said then he left him to be alone.

Tony sat down and thought about what he was doing. _Was Ziva worth this? I am risking my life and my agents' lives and Seals. Why? Because I love her. She didn't love me, so why did I still love her. Or maybe the answer is simple – I love her and that's the way it was, which meant I'd do anything for her. Yeah, I'd do anything for her. It was simple even if it didn't make sense. _

The stealth helicopters hummed along as the pilots flew them inches above the water. Tony adjusted his battle armor and then his helmet. He carried a 9mm Beretta sidearm and that was it. This wasn't because he didn't want to carry rifle because he wanted to be able to grab Ziva when he found her.

Finally, they reached land. Tony heard orders being given in his earpiece.

"I want Piper, Nathans and Jenks to act as snipers from copters, first down the ropes Clay, Devine, and Andrews," ordered Adams.

Tony took his Beretta out and prepped it to be fired. His heart started racing and he felt a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead under his helmet. He looked over at his own men, Monyhan, Smith, and Davis. Giving them the thumbs up, they returned it in kind.

"On my mark," Adams said, "we will be in optimum position in five, four, three, two, one. Go."

The ropes went over and the first men to hit the ground started down the ropes, while the snipers started taking out terrorists. Tony was supposed to wait until the copter landed but he had a gut feeling that the bastard in charge of this camp would kill Ziva, if she was still alive. He jumped the line and grabbed hold of the rope and started down the rope. When he five feet from the ground, he let go of the rope and jumped the rest of the way.

Pulling his weapon he fired three times taking down two terrorists. He observed another three terrorists taking up a defensive position on front of building, as if they were guarding it. That was his target. Along with two seals they started for the building.

Salim awoke hearing the muffled gunfire of the Seals along with the loud gunfire of his own men. They were under attack. It was time to kill the bitch before he got out of there. She had been fun, but fun time was over. He walked down the hall towards the locked door.

Ziva had one hand chained to the wall which didn't allow her to lie down, or find any lasting form of comfort. It was a cruel form of subtle torture. She so wanted to lie down and rest her sore and aching body that she was ready to beg. The gunfire she hurt meant that someone was here. It didn't matter she was dead the moment Salim got to her.

The door started to open and Salim appeared. His smug face had a smile on it.

"It is time for you to die," he said in Arabic.

Ziva wanted to yell at him, fight him, but she was too tired, too injured, and too sore. In some ways she was happy that her time to die had finally come.

Three shots were fired and Ziva watched as Salim's forehead exploded in a blood and bones. The terrorist fell to the ground dead. Her nightmare was over. Had the Mossad finally found her and saved her? Did her father finally save her?

"Clear," she heard English being used. It wasn't Mossad. But it was the United States.

Ziva wanted to laugh, but her jaw was too sore from being punched. She watched as someone in US military battle dress uniform appeared in the door. The man took his helmet off and she recognized him. It was Tony DiNozzo.

"Tony?" she said.

"Hey, Zi, I'm here for you. You are going to be all right," he said then he walked up to her and fired his gun cracking the chain that held her hand.

Looking at her and the condition she was in made his heart break. He had made the right choice. She slipped down to the floor. It felt good to finally lie down.

"Oh, Zi, what did they do to you?" he said as he knelt beside her and moved the hair from her swollen face. "Can you walk?"

"No," she said then she weakly lifted her hand to his face to make sure he was real. She felt his rough beard and skin and smiled. He was real.

"Well, you don't need to, my ninja. I'm here now. I'll take care of you," he said.

He picked her up in his arms and carried her out the cell. For the first time in weeks she felt safe, even loved, in his arms. He kissed the top of her head.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly.

"I told you that I loved you, Zi," he said. "Some things are hard to change."

"Thank you, Tony," she mumbled.

"You never have to thank me, Zi," he said.

He carried out of the building and saw the Seals were doing their job.

"I know, Zi, this would be more heroic if I was Gibbs here carrying you home. But I'll have you to him in no time," he said.

Ziva started to cry. She didn't want to be in Gibbs' arms, his arms were far better; she felt more secure in them. Why didn't he believe that? He reached one of the stealth helicopters and gave her to Special Agent Davis.

"Don't leave her side until you get her to Director Vance and Special Agent Gibbs, understood?" he barked.

"Yes, sir," the young African American agent responded.

Tony's green eyes showed nothing but love and concern as he saw Ziva being checked out by one of the Seals with medic skills. She stared at him. _Why? Why would he do this for me? I need to know why?_

The helicopter took off. Tony returned to his next task which was to collect intel with his men. They didn't have much time, either. Soon some raptors would be flying into this area and laying waste to everything on the ground. Salim and his camp would be a bad memory, hopefully one that Ziva would be able to get over in time.

_They better take good care of her, _he thought as he grabbed papers and a laptop.

It took several days of travel to finally land at Andrews Air Force Base. Special Agent Davis put Officer David in the back of a black SUV with tinted black windows. Doctors had checked her along the way, so Davis knew she was physically and emotionally fragile. He tried to engage her during the trip in small talk, but the only thing she seemed to want to hear was stories about SAC DiNozzo, especially if he had many girlfriends. Davis knew that they used to be partners and he knew DiNozzo's rep, but he had to admit that since he came to Naples all he did was work. When he told her that all she did was say with a sad smiled: "Oh."

Vance had arranged that the SUV go directly in the underground garage and then David could bring her up in the elevator. Director Vance came down into the bullpen. Agent Burley sat in DiNozzo's old desk and McGee was buried in his work, while Gibbs nursed a cup of coffee.

"I've got a package that just arrived from SAC DiNozzo to Gibbs' MCRT in DC," Vance said.

With DiNozzo's name mentioned Gibbs looked up at the Vance. It had been years since he had seen or heard from DiNozzo. Ducky and Abby vacationed with him in Naples until this last year when the mafia put a hit on him and it became a little too dangerous. It felt the same way about Tony as he did with the estrangement he had with his father, estrangement with family; he needed to do something about it, but he didn't know what to do. Tony was family.

_Ding. _Ducky, Jimmy and Abby came up from basement. They wandered into the bullpen.

"You called for us, Director," said Ducky.

"Yes, I did. A package from DiNozzo has arrived safely and I thought you might like to be here when it brought and delivered," he said.

_Ding. _The elevator opened and Agent Davis walked a tired and beaten Ziva into the bullpen. Stan was the first one on his feet.

"Ziva," he said and came around his desk to give her a hug, next up McGee then Abby pushed the all aside to take Ziva in her arms. Ducky walked over to Gibbs' desk.

"I have to go up into MTAC to let DiNozzo his package has arrived and is in good hands," Said Vance. "Bring her up to my office when you're done down here. We have to make arrangements for her."

"Anthony has come through once again, Jethro. It is remarkable how far he has come," noted Ducky.

"He did good work, Duck," Gibbs said and nodded his head.

"He has been doing good work for years, Jethro," he said as the two men watched the overwhelmed Ziva being greeted. "You should get her into Vance's office before she blows a gasket, as the saying goes. She looks like she needs to decompress."

In MTAC Vance looked at DiNozzo, who had the beginnings of a beard growing and was wearing jean and a pink dress shirt instead of a suit.

"Well done, Tony, we have her," Vance said.

"Keep good care of her, Leon. She deserves the best treatment you can get her," Tony said. "I'll be forwarding all the intel we collected to you. You may want to share some of it with Mossad. I think they'll want to see it."

"Deputy Director David sends his thanks, also. He is beholden to you," said Vance.

"Didn't do it for thanks or for him, Leon," said DiNozzo.

"I know. Eli David is a good man to have owe you a favor, Tony."

"I'll keep that in mind, Leon."

"Well, I have Miss David waiting for me in my office. I have to ask her if she wants to be a citizen and an NCIS agent," he smiled.

"Take care of her. She's special."

"Consider it done, SAC DiNozzo," he said and killed the feed with his SAC.

Tony got into his silver 1962 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint for drive. He knew that he should have bodyguards with him considering the mafia usually didn't kid around about assassinating people like him, but he was feeling closed in, almost claustrophobic lately. He wanted the freedom of a drive and didn't regret it until he saw two black BMWs in the rearview mirror, as he drove along the Bay of Naples.

"Ah, shit," he then took out his smartphone and called Special Agent Monyhan.

"Monyhan," he answered.

"Hey. It's DiNozzo. I'm out for a ride and, guess what: I'm being followed by the mafia. I feel like Sonny Corleone In the _Godfather_. I really don't want to end up with that many holes in my body. Hey, if I'm not back by six, then I'm dead."

"Hey, Boss. Keep your phone on and I'll follow the GPS and send some re-enforcements right away," said Monyhan.

Tony sped up his car and decided to try and lose them. _Oh, yeah, DiNozzo, you always wanted to play James Bond. Well, James Bond always got into car chases, so here I go. _

The Alfa Romeo sped along with the water on his right and mountain on his left. Just missing an oncoming car, while trying to pass a car in front of him, Tony shifted gears and changed speeds like a professional causing the car coming towards him to change lanes and run one of the cars pursuing him off the road and plummeting towards the water below.

"Oh that is going to hurt," mumbled Tony as he checked the car crash into the water.

Screeching to a halt he pulled his weapon and fired at the other car putting six bullets into the driver's side window causing the car to crash up against the mountain. A man staggered out of the car, and Tony put three bullets into his chest.

_Vance is not going to like this. Well, at least, I finally know how it feels like to be James Bond. _He looked at the two dead men. _It doesn't really feel that good. I really have to get a safer job. _

Three SUVs came speeding to his location and helicopter flew over the area. His smartphone rang.

Tony answered it: "Yeah, Monyhan."

"I thought you were supposed to be in trouble."

"I just killed four mafia members, so I'd say that I'm in trouble. You know how much they already love me. Do me a favor?"

"What Boss?" he yelled above the helicopter noise.

"Get me a Seal team and two volunteers. We are going to end this once and for all. Probably end my career while I'm at it, if anyone finds out what I'm planning," said Tony.

It was a volunteer six man Seal team plus Tony, Monyhan, a Special Agent James. They readied themselves for an extracurricular activity, strictly off the books. Don Vincenzo Patraca's gated villa was ten miles outside. The plan was simple: The Seal Team would go first and take out security, open the front gate, and hold the perimeter. After that Tony and his two men would go in and speak to the Don.

Monyhan had the earpiece in waiting to hear from the seal team. Tony checked his watch: ten past midnight. They should be hearing soon from the Seal Team.

"Yeah," Monyhan spoke up. "Casualties? Great. We are on our way."

"Any casualties?" asked Tony.

"None and the Don's security tamed. Let's go," said Monyhan.

The three men got in the car with James driving, Monyhan in passenger seat and Tony in the back. The car drove the gates of the almost ancient villa. James pulled up in front of the front door.

"James, keep the engine running," Tony said. "Monyhan, you are with me."

The two men got out and went to the front door. Tony motioned towards the door and Tony kicked it open. Tony in a black Armani suit strolled into the house. It was filled with statuary, paintings, and Vincenzo's young wife and son. They stood on the stairs looking at Tony with fear.

He smiled at them and kept walking. In the living on Vincenzo sat waiting for him by a fire.

"It's time to end this vendetta or I am going to end your life and your family's lives," Tony stated coldly and sat in the armchair across from him.

"You would make a good Don," he said. "You know how to scare people and you have style."

"Grazie," he said.

"Do you thing I am afraid to die? What am I a woman?" said the Don.

"Who is first to die? Your son or wife?" asked Tony.

The Don's face went pale.

"You would not do that," he insisted.

"You want me dead and I don't want to be dead. I'll do what I have to do in order to stay alive," he said. _Let's hope he buys this bluff or I'm just embarrassed._

"I don't believe you," said the old Don.

"I'll do it myself then," smiled Tony. "You said it: I'd make a good Don."

"Our vendetta against you is over. Your life is safe," said the Don.

"Good, it's over. Your family gets to live and you can continue to be Don for now."

"I must admit I can't wait for the day you return to our own country, Special Agent DiNozzo," said the Don.

"I'll take that as a compliment," smiled Tony.

"Take it however you wish," he said.

Tony and his men exited the villa. An SUV pulled up and they got into, while a stealth helicopter picked up the Seal team.

"You owe the Seals a good dinner," said Monyhan.

"I think we can find one or two good restaurants in Naples," he smiled.

"You got style, Boss," remarked Monyhan.

"So I've been told."

He didn't feel stylish; he felt slightly sickened by his actions. Threatening a woman and child seemed the antithesis of style. _What the hell I am becoming? Would I have killed them if I had to? I hope not. Maybe I'm becoming too much a part of the job? Maybe I need to back off of the job a little? I haven't been the same since Cassie left my life. I need an anchor, I need someone to love. _

"You okay, boss?" asked Monyhan.

"Yeah. Sure I'm peachy," he smiled.

"At least, this is over, right?" he said.

"I guess, Monyhan. I'm just tired. It feels like I've had a busy few years."

Chapter Five

Present Day, NCIS, DC Headquarters.

Eli David's craggy face and salt and pepper hair appeared on the screen. He looked unhappy, which only his closest friends could tell since Eli kept his emotions to himself, except for anger. Vance stood in front of the large screen and waited for Eli to speak.

"Leon, my friend, you have another mole, but this one is far worse than the last one. This mole is not an amateur selling information for small change and blackmailing those he is using. This is a professional, maybe more than one burrowing away in your system and grabbing important information," he said.

"How do you know this, Eli?" Leon asked.

"We purchased some information from an intermediary."

"What information?" asked Leon.

"The detailed itinerary of the SecNav's Pearl Harbor visit, including his secret meeting with the Russian Secretary of the Navy to discuss China," he said.

"Damn it, Eli, this isn't good. We are barely over the last mole this agency had to deal with," Leon said.

"Clean up you mess before it cleans up you, Leon. That is the best advice I can give you," Eli recommended. "I'd hate to see you lose your position. We work well together and are friends."

"Have any suggestions how I should handle this fiasco?" he said.

"Put together a team of your best people and let them have at it, as you Americans would say," said Eli. "Make sure you put someone you trust in charge."

"I think I will, Eli."

"Gibbs' Team."

"No. I have someone else in mind who can put a team together and deal with this," Leon said. "Someone I trust completely."

Leon gave the technician the cut off sign and the screen went blank.

"Get me Naples," Leon ordered. "I want to talk to SAC Dinozzo.

"Yes, sir," the technician.

_You haven't failed me so far DiNozzo, so let's hope you don't fail me now. _Leon Vance waited patiently for Anthony DiNozzo.

"Yes, Director, how can I help you?" he asked.

"Are you ready to come home, SAC DiNozzo?" Vance asked him in return.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then I am ready and willing to come home as soon as possible," he smiled.

"Pick a team from agents in either San Diego or LA then pack your bags and come on home," said Vance.

"Yes, sir," Tony said then the screen went blank.

"I need you Tony," said Vance.

"I'll be there as soon as possible," said Tony.

Stan Burly was on the phone when Ziva and McGee arrived back from interviewing witnesses. They strolled into their bullpen. She was showing off her engagement ring from CIA Agent Ray Cruz to those who hadn't seen it yet. They both looked at Gibbs empty and desk then at Burly. He pointed up at the mezzanine and the Director's office.

Inside the office Director Vance sat staring at a fuming Special Agent Gibbs.

"My team is the best, Leon. You should put us in the lead of this, not some outside team. Don't waste us on he sideline," growled Gibbs.

"I have someone else in mind for this job, Gibbs. I'll need you to back up the team that is taking the lead. This is important, so I want my man in charge, Gibbs," Vance told him. "The team he had put together is a good one."

"Who is in this team made up of?"

"Special Agents Kensi Blye, Callen, and Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones. They will be led by a special agent from overseas," he said.

"This is a mistake. The same mistake you made with the Port to Port Killer. I caught Lee and I can catch this one for you. This is a mistake you are making, Leon," Gibbs got up and stormed out of the office.

As he entered the Bullpen he saw the team get off the elevator. With his perpetual five o'clock shadow and beyond short haircut, Callen in jeans, a black t shirt and leather jacket led the team off the elevator. He was followed by Kensi Blye, a very attractive brunette with one blue and one brown eye, who dressed similar to Callen and Nell Jones, who was barely five foot one red head wearing a black skirt, lace shirt, a cardigan, wool overcoat and a beret.

Cynthia came down from her desk to show them where they would be sitting which turned out to be next to Gibbs' MCRT bullpen.

"Computers will be installed this afternoon for you," she said.

"Thanks," Callen said then he looked at Nell. "Make sure you get everything you need, Nell."

"Hey, Boss," said Burley softly as he hung up.

"Yeah," he growled.

"Isn't that Callen?"

"Yeah," he said.

"He's a legend," said Burley.

"He's kind of cute," said Ziva, as she got up and stood in between Burley's and McGee's desks.

"Behave yourself. You're practically a married woman," laughed Stan.

"Check out the brunette with him, that's Kensi Blye. I remember when Gibbs and I went out to LA to OSP to work with them," said McGee.

"She's out of your league, McGee," Burley smiled.

_Ding. _The elevator opened and SAC DiNozzo walked off wearing a Grey Armani two button suit, lavender shirt, darker lavender silk tie and a Belvin stand collar overcoat and wearing tortoise shell sunglasses. He had just arrived from Andrews Air Force Base and was driven immediately to NCIS Headquarters. The air of Italy hung about him in his style and appearance.

"Tony," mumbled Ziva feeling her insides freeze. She had not seen him since he rescued her. Without even thinking about it she started to play with her engagement ring. Gibbs noticed and smiled.

"Special Agent in Charge DiNozzo, the director wants to see you right away," Cynthia said.

"Cynthia, you taking good care of my team here?" he smiled then took of his overcoat and dropped it on a chair.

"I will, Tony," she said.

"Callen," Tony offered him his hand and they shook. "Call me Tony."

"Tony."

"Why don't you come with me, since you'll be acting as my senior agent until you go back to LA," he said.

They followed Cynthia up the stairs. As he walked Tony took off his overcoat and looked down from the mezzanine to see Ziva looking up at him. He was glad he had his sunglasses on so she couldn't see his instant reaction of attraction.

"Hey, Boss, DiNozzo is here," said Burley.

"What is he doing here?" asked McGee.

"Get to work," barked Gibbs. _This is going to make building a bridge with Tony more difficult. He is in charge of that team. I might have waited too long to deal with him and I. _

Callen and Tony entered the Director's office. Vance sat at his conference table reading a file and looked up and smiled. He was relieved to see that DiNozzo finally made it.

"Good to see you in the states again, DiNozzo," he said.

"Nice to be home, Director," he said.

He and Callen sat down and Vance pushed a file down the table for them to review.

"Gentlemen, we have a mole and a dangerous one," Vance started the meeting.

"And our team is tasked with finding him or her and dealing with them," said Tony.

"Or them," Vance said.

"Will we have help in doing this?" asked Tony.

"Gibbs' team if you need it," said Vance. "They will be your backup."

"What about Cassie Yates' team?" asked Tony. "She and I have worked well together."

Vance smiled. He knew about their former relationship. Cassie was now engaged to a FBI agent.

"I know Gibbs. He doesn't like to take orders," said Callen.

"Well, Agent Callen, the last time I check neither do you," Vance pointed out.

"We've all been there," said Tony.

"Gibbs' team is the best here," said Vance.

"There's no arguing with that," said Tony trying to play politics.

"How do we get started?" Vance asked.

"Let Nell at your computers and the rest of the team will start checking personnel. If we have to interview every one we will," said Callen.

"I want McGee and Abby helping Nell," said Tony.

"Agreed," said Vance.

"Callen and Kensi will start reviewing non agent personnel files and interviewing them. They work themselves up to agents," said Tony.

"We want the mole to know we are coming for them," said Callen.

"You want to cause them to make a mistake and expose themselves," said Vance.

"That's right," said Tony. "No secrets, no scams, we are shining a bright light on this one. Let's make sure there are no shadows for them to hide in. Once we are done there should be no moles left."

"Some people may end up leaving even though they are not guilty," said Callen.

"Gentlemen, lives are at stake and National Security. Do what you have to do," Vance said.

"Callen, go get everyone started," said Tony. "You know Gibbs. Tell him what you need."

"You got it," said Callen.

Callen left Tony and Vance alone. Before he could speak a jaw breaking yawn escaped Tony's mouth.

"How long has it been since you last slept?" Vance asked.

"Two days maybe a little more."

"You're coming home with me. I have a spare bedroom for you to sleep in tonight and in the morning Jackie can make you a proper breakfast," he said.

"My bags are downstairs at security," he said then yawned again.

"Come on, let's go and get them," Vance said then he and Tony made their way down to his team.

"I'm leaving with Director Vance. I'll be back in the morning. Once you have yourselves set up, get to the hotel and get some rest. We are going to be putting in lots of hours," he said.

"Tony," said Callen.

Tony turned to catch his overcoat.

"Be here bright and early," Callen smiled.

Tony waved goodnight and left with Vance. On the other side of the petition Gibbs and his team were left slightly off their game. They were used to being the number one team, but this time there was another team in the lead of an important mission and they were backup.

Callen walked over into Gibbs' bullpen and up to Gibbs' desk.

"It's been awhile Gibbs," said Callen.

"Callen," growled Gibbs.

"You know the situation?"

"Yup."

"This is going to be a tough one. Let's hope we all come out of it alive," Callen said.

"DiNozzo have you talk to me?" he asked.

"He wants me to coordinate with you," said Callen.

Dinner was baked macaroni and cheese and fish cakes. This brought a smile to Tony's face since he hadn't eaten a meal like this since he was a kid. He, Leon, Jared, Kayla cleaned their plates of all food, much to the delight of Jackie.

"Jackie, that was delicious," Tony said.

"Better than the cooking in Naples?" she asked him.

"There is nothing better than home cooking," he charmed her.

"Thank you," she replied. "How long will you be staying with us?"

"Just tonight. I don't want to be a bother. I have to find a place to stay," he said.

"You can stay with us as long as you like," Jackie said.

"Well, you can sleep on my couch in my office for as long as you want," Vance said.

"Sounds comfy," he said.

"You can sleep in my room," offered Jared.

"Thanks, Bud, but I'll be keeping really strange hours on this job."

"I hope you stay with us. I like having you around," said Kayla.

He smiled at her and she blushed.

"So, Tony, when are you going to get married and have children?" asked Jackie Vance.

"I'm afraid marriage and me aren't compatible," he said. "I wish that we were, but my job comes first, which doesn't leave much leftover."

"Jackie, don't harass my agent. I need him more than any woman," laughed Leon.

"Are you going to take care of my husband, Tony?" asked Jackie.

"I'm going to do my best, Jackie," he said.

Ziva arrived in the morning in a sour mood. Besides having a difficult time sleeping, she fought with Ray. After dropping her bag at her desk she headed to the cafeteria to pick up a cup of tea. As she headed down the hallway, Cassie Yates was headed in her direction.

"Hello, Cassie," she said uncomfortably. "Have you seen that Tony is here?"

"I heard, Ziva," she said with a slight smile.

"You're not happy about that."

"Ziva, can I be honest with you?" she asked.

"I believe in honesty," she answered.

"I love Tony but he never loved me. I had his body and his company, but someone else always owned his heart," she said.

"But you are engage now to be married, so you are over him," she said.

"I'm engaged to a man I like very much, but I don't love him. At least, not I like I did Tony. I'd be a very happy woman if Tony loved me like he does you. I'd take whatever of him he was willing to give it to me and cherish it," Cassie said then continued walking to her destination.

Someone has always owned his heart. She is telling me that I am the one who owns his heart. But I don't want to own his heart.

When she returned to the bullpen, Tony had joined his team. He was wearing jeans and a red pullover OSU hoodie, fitting in the casual nature of his team. Ziva stopped and listened for a moment.

"Nell, get together with McGee and Abby and start doing the compute work. Whatever passwords or security clearance you need just ask Vance and he'll give it to you," he told the short cute young woman.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"Callen, you and Kensi can start interviewing non agent personnel today," Tony ordered. His smartphone rang, he looked at who it was from then he answered it.

"Monyhan, any problems in Naples?" he said.

"_Checking up on you, Boss. There's rumor you won't be back," _Monyhan said_. _

"I'm still officially your SAC, but I'm temporarily reassigned. Why?"

"_Four outstanding investigations and one op that needs your touch," _he said_._

"I'll arrange with Vance for some MTAC time to conference with you. How about we spend an hour or so going over everything then," he said.

"_Sound great, Boss, but when so I can be available?" _asked Monyhan.

"How about one o'clock my time? I'll give you my lunch hour. That work for you?" he asked.

"_Thanks, Tony," he said. _

"Talk to you then, Gerry," he ended the call then became lost in thought for a moment.

Ziva watched him and smiled. _This is not the same Tony that I remember. He has been in charge of things for so long it has changed him, made him grow up. He is at ease with himself in a way he never was before. _

"Tony, you leave for Neptune or something?" asked Callen. "Earth to DiNozzo."

"Jeeze, sorry. We are assuming only DC is compromised. What if it's larger than that," he said then he stood up. "I have to talk to Vance. You guys get to work."

He turned and saw Ziva staring at him. For a moment his green eyes and her chocolate eyes connected and a spark of electrical current passed between them. She always knew that she never had that sort of connection with anyone else, but she thought that sort of connection between her and another human being was dangerous for her. Being connected in that way was just too intense, and she never wanted to lose herself in another person. She wanted stability, security, a life.

For his part Tony heard about her engagement. It hurt. He didn't want to admit it to anyone but it hurt him to know she'd never be his.

"Um…," he paused then turned and walked away and headed towards the stairs to Vance's office. _Well, that was mature. How old am I? Sixteen? _

"Cynthia, need to talk to him," he said as he passed he desk and entered Vance's office. "Leon, we may have a bigger problem than we thought."

Leon Vance put down the report he was reading and said: "tell me."

"What if our mole isn't just in DC; what if he, she or them were systemic?" he asked. "One or two every office or in important offices."

"It would explain a helluva lot," Vance said. "How many do you think we have?"

"Seven to ten minimum stationed throughout our NCIS offices," he said.

"I was afraid it might be this big of a problem," Vance said. "NCIS needs to make some changes, structural changes."

"Like what, Leon?"

"Like changes need to be made, Tony. I need someone to be actively involved in all of the offices, checking them, keeping them in line. Our current Deputy Director has been offered a position at Homeland Security. I think I'll tell him to take it as of today. And I need your help to make these changes and fix our system. Are you ready for another step up the ladder, another promotion?" he asked.

"I'm ready to do whatever you need me to do, Leon," answered Tony.

Chapter Six

"Everything is secure on my end," said Special Agent Monyhan, as he looked at his Boss on the big screen.

"Let's get started then," Tony said. "Oh, first, send the techs to lunch. I want this to be only you and me only."

"We got trouble, don't we?" he asked.

"Yeah, Gerry. I'm going to read you in on something because I trust you. Don't make a fool out of me," he said.

"I won't, Boss."

Outside the MTAC Ziva waited patiently with the three techs, leaving highly trusted tech with Tony, as a guard kept them out, while Tony conferenced with Naples. She paced back and forth. Gibbs wanted her to use MTAC to have a secure conference with Ray, who was in Miami, to see if he had picked up any chatter.

The tech interrupted Tony to tell him that Ray Cruz was online waiting to conference with Ziva.

"It's a secure conference that was set up yesterday?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Gerry, hold on," he said then looked at the tech. "Put him through."

"You're not Ziva."

"No, I am not. Special Agent in Charge Anthony DiNozzo," he introduced himself.

"I know who you are."

"I take it Agent David wanted to talk to you about something classified," he said.

"She wanted me to check chatter on a mole at NCIS," said Ray.

"Listen, CI-Ray, you are interfering in a NCIS investigation that has top security clearance. If you don't want to lose your pension, I wouldn't take any requests other than dates and wedding favors suggestions from Agent David, or you'll both be looking for new jobs. Is that understood?"

"I don't take orders from you, Special Agent in Charge DiNozzo," Ray stood up to Tony.

"My director will contact your director immediately after this conversation. Your orders will come from him then. Does that assuage your ego?" he asked.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" asked Ray.

"As I an hour ago I accepted the position of Deputy Director of NCIS, Mr. Cruz. That's who I am," he said then he made the kill motion with a thumb across his throat.

Ray disappeared and Monyhan reappeared.

"Gerry, do you like giving orders?"

"If I have to," he answered.

"Do you mind working long hours and feeling unappreciated?"

"If my country needs me to," he said.

"Special Agent Gerald Monyhan, I am offering you the position of Special Agent in Charge of the Naples office, do you accept?"

"Tony, you can't do that," smiled Monyhan.

"Vance just promoted me to Deputy Director, Gerry, so yes, I can," he said.

"Oh, shit."

"Welcome to the big leagues, Monyhan."

"I knew I should have learned Irish instead of Italian when I was in school," complained Monyhan.

Ziva received a text from Ray. He explained to her what just happened and said he couldn't help. She could feel the anger starting to rise up and consume her. Part of her wanted to kick the door to MTAC open and throttle DiNozzo and another calmer part told her to tell Gibbs. She turned around and returned to the Bullpen. Gibbs it was.

As she entered the bullpen another text appeared. This one was from Vance to all NCIS employees. He also sent it out as an e-mail. She opened it.

_Effective Immediately. Special Agent in Charge Anthony DiNozzo has been promoted to the position of Deputy Director of NCIS_. _Deputy Director DiNozzo will be stationed out of the DC office. _

_Director Leon Vance_

Ziva suddenly realized that Tony had done Ray a favor. He could have foregone talking to him and had him disciplined. She looked at Gibbs, who had just read the text.

"Things just became even more complicated," she said to Gibbs.

Abby came bounding into the bullpen smiling: "Did you read this? Tony is a big boss now."

McGee and Stan returned from lunch looking shell shocked.

"DiNozzo's our boss now?" said Stan.

"He's deputy director," said Gibbs.

"This is just strange."

"You guys have to stop thinking of him as the Tony who worked in MCRT. He has run his own team then ran Naples office and all that included," said Abby. "He isn't that old Tony any longer."

"Who is he then?" asked Ziva.

"You should know that better than most, Ziva. He did go to Somalia to save you," said Abby.

Before the conversation could go any further, Gibbs phone rang and he answered it. When he hung up and said: "Gear up. We got a body."

"Well, at least, this we can handle this without a problem or another team helping us," said Stan.

"On your six, Gibbs," said Ziva.

The body was in Rock Creek Park and it was a Petty Officer, who seemed to die while be serviced by a prostitute. His throat was cut from ear to ear and his pants were down around his knees.

Stan was canvassing the area, while Ziva bagged and tagged and McGee took pictures and sketched and measured. Ducky and Jimmy looked after the body. Gibbs looked have his mind on something completely different as he stared off in the distance. Ziva's smartphone rang. Reluctantly, she took it out and checked who was calling her. It was Eli.

"How can I help you, Eli?" she answered the phone.

"Ziva, I call because we have just intercepted a communication that I need to share with Leon, but he wasn't at NCIS and I only wish to speak on secure phones. I know yours is secure."

"I am not his secretary, Eli."

"I know my daughter that you and I have our problems, but this is important. The communication we intercepted was an open contract for the lives of Director Leon Vance and Deputy Director Anthony DiNozzo. The bounty is a million dollars a head," he said.

"Eli, I have to go," she said with panic in her voice.

"I understand. Be careful, Ziva. I believe one of those interested in this contract is Simon Ben Lev."

She hung up. Ben Lev was former Mossad, who was known to be one of the most elusive and deadly assassins in the world. Hustling over to Gibbs, she disturbed from his thoughts.

"That was Eli. There is a contract out on the life of Director Vance and Deputy Director DiNozzo."

"Shit," mumbled Gibbs then he looked over at Stan. "Stan, you're in charge. Ziva and I are headed to Vance's home. Ducky, I want you to come with us and bring your medical bag just in case it's needed."

Vance lived in a suburb of DC in Great Falls, VA. The house was on a cul-de-sac and Vance drove Tony home to get some clothes. He knew he was going to be buys over the next few days would be better off sleeping at NCIS then anywhere else. It was three PM and Jared and Kayla should be home along with his Jackie.

As the car pulled into the driveway, Jared came out of the house holding a football. Being an OSU fan, he had a case of hero worship with Tony, since he played for OSU as a quarterback.

"Hey, champ, where's your mother and sister?" asked Vance as he got out of the car.

"Inside," he answered then he threw a wobbly pass to Tony, who caught it with one hand as he clear the car.

"You have to work on your spiral, Jared," he told him. "I'll show you a few tricks of the trade later."

Just then a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle hummed along at a good speed down the street towards them. Tony remembered how Ziva told him that Mossad used someone on a motorcycle as an assassin. He looked at the rider closely saw him reached into his leather jacket and take out a gun.

"Jared, Leon, hit the deck!" he yelled then he stepped away from the car and set his feet to throw a pass.

Taking aim Tony released a perfect spiral hitting the rider just as he fired his weapon. The football hit the rider in the helmet shattering his protective visor and sending the rider and the motorcycle in a parked car. The motorcycle was a wreck and the rider lay in the pavement not moving.

Vance checked his son, who was fine. He kissed his son's head then he looked gratefully at Tony was standing admiring his pass. Gibbs in his challenger came screeching to a halt in front of Lance's home. Gibbs and Ziva got out of the Charger with guns drawn, while Ducky slowly got out of the car.

"What happened?" Gibbs called to Vance.

"Shooter on the motorcycle. Tony took him out with my son's football," Vance answered. "It was amazing."

Gibbs looked over at DiNozzo and wondered why he was just standing there with his hands on his hips, but then he looked closely and saw that Tony's left hand wasn't holding his hip but his side. Something was wrong.

"Tony," he barked, "are you all right?"

"Peachy," he retorted then he dropped down onto his knees. From his knees he fell face first onto the cement.

Ziva, who was checking the motorcycle rider, saw this and actually beat Gibbs to Tony in a full sprint. She gently rolled him over to see that he had two bullet wounds, one in the left side just above the waist and one that seemed to have his left ribcage. Helping him onto his back, she placed his head in her lap, as Ducky attended him and Gibbs called for a bus to take him to Bethesda.

"How is he, Ducky?" asked Vance.

"Alive," was the answer.

"I'm calling for agents to protect you and your family, Leon. Eli called Ziva and said there is a contract on yours and Dinozzo's heads."

"I'm going to nail these bastards, Gibbs," Vance said softly.

"You'll have my help, Leon. You will have help."

Gibbs and Ziva sat with Leon Vance and Ducky waiting to hear about Tony. Security had been alerted to make sure it was heightened while Cassie Yates team was tasked to protect Vance's wife and children.

Ziva's smartphone rang. She checked it and saw that it was Ray calling her. Not wanting to talk to him at the moment, she let the call drop. Lifting her head she saw a doctor enter the waiting room.

"DiNozzo family," he said.

"We are here for him," said Vance.

"I am his next of kin and medical proxy," Ducky spoke up.

"The first bullet went through his side avoiding major damage then the second bullet cracked two ribs and punctured his lung. We were able to repair everything. He's in recovery and will be put in a private room in a couple of hours," said the doctor.

"Anthony has never been a good patient. He will want to leave the hospital right away, especially since there is a contract out on his life and he will not want to endanger innocent bystanders. When can he leave?"

"Give me two days so we can keep an eye out on his lungs then you can move him to somewhere safe," the doctor said.

"Thank you, doctor," said Ducky.

The doctor left them to make plans.

"We can add extra protection and he can stay with my family and I. I want him taken care of," said Vance.

"We should keep you two apart," said Gibbs. "Let's not make this easy for the assassins by keeping his targets together."

"He will stay with me. My apartment building is secure, I am a trained assassin myself so I understand how they work and we can put a car with two men out front of my apartment," Ziva said.

"And I can easily come by and check on his bandages and wounds to change them. We will have him up in no time," said Ducky.

"Ziva, are you sure about this?" asked Gibbs. "I can have him at my house if you want."

"I owe him that much for what he has done for me," she said. _And I will sleep better knowing he is safe under my protection. _

Gibbs brought a wheelchair to Tony's room then helped his former protégé get dressed into a pair of sweat pants and a zip up OSU hoodie.

"Are all your workout clothes Ohio State?" Gibbs asked them.

"I've got to support them the best I can, Gibbs. I'm damn near a booster based on my purchases alone," he said.

Tony slipped on his running shoes then thought better of tying them. Gibbs bent down and started to tie his shoes for him.

"Gibbs, please don't. You…," Tony started to say.

"Tony, you need your shoes tied. It's the least I can do for the best agent I ever worked with," he said finishing up tying his sneakers.

"Boss, you…"

"I'm not your Boss, DiNozzo. I haven't been in a long time," he said gently. "But I am a proud friend."

"You know that you are more than just a friend to me, Gibbs."

"When this is over, we have to have a long talk over a steak at my house," he said.

"I'd like that. Cowboy style?"

"Cowboy style. Maybe we'll make it a party," Gibbs smiled.

"Thanks, Gibbs."

"Now Deputy Director DiNozzo, Agent David is waiting for you at her apartment to protect you," he smiled.

"I'd rather not go to Ziva's place, Gibbs," he said. "Too many unresolved issues there."

"No choice, DiNozzo, it has all been arranged."

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost seven in the evening. Why?"

"Just lost track of time."

Tony was silent for the rest of the trip. McGee sat in the passenger seat and Gibbs drove, while Tony sat in the back letting a thousand things flitter through his mind rather than think about Ziva and him. Both men allowed him his silence knowing he had a good reason to be preoccupied at the moment.

When they arrived at Ziva's Gibbs got the wheelchair, but Tony refused to get into it. Instead he allowed McGee and Gibbs to slowly help him up the stairs and into Ziva's apartment, where the delicious aroma of cooking filled their nostrils.

"I am making chicken soup for his recovery," Ziva said with a smile from the kitchen.

Gibbs helped him to the couch and then he joined Ziva in the kitchen.

"How is he Gibbs?" she asked.

"Silent, in pain, and moody. He doesn't want to be here, Ziva, so he might cause you some trouble," he told her.

"Why?" she asked in surprise.

"I would guess Ziva it's because of the way he feels for you and always has felt for you," Gibbs said then stared into her eyes.

"I know, Gibbs."

"I'd say in a week he'll be healed enough to be moved to wherever he wants to go."

"I'll take good care of him, Gibbs. He means a great deal to me."

"I expect you to, Ziva. He means a great deal to me, also," Gibbs said then he and McGee said their goodbyes and left.

After finishing up the soup Ziva exited the kitchen and joined him in the living room.

"So, do you want soup now or later?" she asked him.

"If you don't mind I'm just…"

There was a knock on the door and Tony stopped talking. Ziva pulled the Sig, which was tucked into the back of her jeans, out and went to the door.

"Who is it?" she said.

"Ray," he said.

Ziva looked over at Tony, who closed his eyes and put his head back in a futile attempt to make himself disappear. Exhaling her frustration, Ziva opened the door.

"Hey, honey," he said and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Ray, I am on protection duty," she said.

He looked over at Tony on the couch.

"I see," he said then looked at her. "I flew up from Miami because I thought we might need to talk after what happened."

"Not now," she said.

"Honey," he started to say then Tony stopped him.

"It's your apartment, Agent David. Why don't you use the bedroom and talk?" he said. "I won't hear you."

"Goodnight, Deputy Director Dinozzo," Ray said with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Ziva led Ray into the back bedroom. The moment she was gone Tony stood up and slowly walked to the door. As quietly as he could he opened the front door and left. Slowly, he made his way down the stairs, stopping now and then to talk a few deep breaths, until he was on the street below looking for the two NCIS agent tasked to guard the front. He noticed the Challenger and walked over to the two agents.

"Gentlemen, I need a ride to headquarters," he said.

"Aren't you supposed to be staying here, sir," said one of the agents.

"I outrank you, agent, so why don't you let me into the back and drive me where I want to go."

"Yes, sir," the agent said. He got out of the car and let Tony into the backseat and they drove him to NCIS.

By the time he made it to the bullpen, he had to admit that he was feeling hungry and tired. Callen, Kensi and Nell were busy at their desks at work.

"Tony," Callen said standing up to check on Tony.

Kensi and Nell joined him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Callen.

"I wanted to use Vance's office to sleep."

"How are you doing?" asked Kensi.

"Peachy. I love being shot. It makes me feel loved," Tony smiled.

"Sir, can I get you anything?" asked Nell.

"Yes, Nell, don't call me sir."

"But you are now Deputy Director," she said.

"Still Tony," he grimaced in pain. "I need dinner and sleep."

"I'll order you some Chinese food and get you several bottles of water for upstairs," said Kensi.

"Thanks," he said then looked at Callen. "Help me up stairs and give me a sitrep."

"We interview six non-agents today and tomorrow we should be finished the non-agent personnel then we start agents," he said.

"Financials?"

"Nell is still working on them," he said.

"Once the Chinese food is here you and your team can leave for the night," Tony said as they arrived at the top of the stairs.

"I'll be staying the night, Tony. You need protection," he said.

"I'm not going to argue," said Tony. "I'm too tired and too hungry."

Helped into Vance's office, Callen helped him to the black leather sofa then he got him the remote to work the TV.

"I'll let you rest," he said then his smartphone rang. He answered it on the way out.

During the night Tony got hot so he unzipped his hoodie and took it off then used it das a pillow. He was surprised at how comfortable the couch was. Falling easily to sleep after some Won Ton Soup and Lo Mein, Tony slipped into REM. It was midnight when he heard the door to the office slowly open allowing a spike of light into the room. He had Callen leave a Sig Sauer with him, which he reached for on the floor beside the sofa.

"You are awake, Tony, yes?" Ziva said.

"Now I am," he said not even bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. "You should be at home with your fiancé, Ziva, not here with me."

"Good, I'm no longer Agent David, at least," she said. "Why did you leave?"

"I didn't belong there. Ray did and you did, but I didn't, so I removed myself from the equation," he said.

"It is my apartment. I can have whoever I want in my apartment. I wanted you there."

"That doesn't mean I belonged there, Zi," he said. "Can we please not talk about this?"

"Fine, we won't talk about you risking your life walking out of my apartment leaving me to fight with Ray because I was so worried about you and you safety," she said. "You have always been able to get me so angry so easily."

"I'll apologize to him for you, if that will help," he said.

"Don't bother," she said.

She turned on the lights. He was blinded for a second by the brightness until his eyes adjusted then he noticed her. She was in jeans and a NCIS sweat shirt and her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying.

"Zi, have you been crying?" he asked.

"What does that matter, Deputy Director DiNozzo?"

He stood up with some anger in his bones: "Did he hurt you, Zi?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because nothing has changed about how I feel about you," he honestly said.

"No, he did not hurt me."

"You fought, though. I'm sorry. That's my fault," he said.

"My fighting with Ray did not make me cry," she said.

"Then what did?"

"You did, Tony. You made me cry because you left me. I was so upset that I couldn't calm down."

"I am sorry, Zi. I should have left a note," he said then he sat down.

She walked over to him and stood in front of him. He had his head down looking at the carpet. Without thinking about what he was doing he reached up and took her right hand in his right hand.

"I've missed you, Zi," he said.

"How could you have missed me, you never had me, Tony," she said with some regret.

"I didn't mean sexual and you know that. I mean as a presence in my life."

"I missed you, too."

He pulled her hand causing her to fall onto him. Grunting from the pain Ziva shifted her body so she was sitting on his lap. Rubbing his cheek against hers he then whispered in her ear: "I told you that I couldn't live without you."

"But you have lived without me," she said.

"No, Zi, I did my duty. I worked hard, sometimes played really hard, but I didn't live," he said then he kissed her neck.

She moaned as he did this. He went front kissing her neck to kissing her along her jaw line then her chin stopping before he kissed her lips.

"I love you, Zi," he said then he put his head on her shoulder. "You should go because I'm not as strong as I thought I was."

"Strong, how?"

"Strong enough not to want you, strong enough to say no to you because it for your good," he said. "Go home to Ray and give him my apologies."

"Tony, I do not want to go home. And I don't care if you apologize to Ray," she said.

Tony sat back down on the sofa to have Ziva straddle him.

"What are you doing here, Zi?" he asked.

Slowly she ground her pelvis into his crotch. As she did this Tony grabbed her face and pulled it close enough so that he could kiss her. At first their kiss was passionate but each held back until suddenly their emotional gates opened and they started to devour each other.

Ziva's hips ground faster and faster as Tony removed her NCIS seat shirt and began suckling on her nipples. With some effort she removed her jeans then helped Tony remove his sweat pants then she mounted him. As she slowly lowered herself on him she moaned and he groaned. After that they lost themselves in passion until both came to an orgasm and Tony wrapped his arms around her quivering body.

They woke the next morning and they had been spooning naked all night on Vance's sofa.

"Morning, Zi," he whispered in her ear. _I have sex in some of the most inappropriate places in the world. This is going to get me into serious trouble one of these days. _

"Can we stay here forever?" she asked.

"I wish, but I think Leon will need his office back eventually," he said and kissed her cheek.

"We need to clean this place up and shower and change before everyone comes to work. I left bags for us downstairs with clothes," Ziva said.

"You have to help me. Been shot recently, so I'm not moving to well," he said.

"I will, Ahuvi," she said.

After an hour and half they had cleaned up Vance's office, showered in the locker room and changed. It was now going to seven, so Tony recommended Ducky's. He knew Ducky got in early to do paperwork.

Entering autopsy, Ziva and Tony saw Ducky at his desk working.

"Ahh, I was hoping to see you early," he said.

"Morning, Ducky," Tony said.

"Ducky," added Ziva.

"Ziva, my dear, can you go get breakfast for Tony and yourself, while I check him out and change his bandages," he suggested.

"Good idea, Ducky," she said then hesitated as if she wanted to kiss him goodbye, thought better of it, then she left.

Ducky asked to check and change Tony's wounds alone. His purpose was to have a talk with the newly promoted agent.

"Deputy Director. That is quite a responsibility, Anthony," he said.

"I know. I hope that I'm up to it."

"Of course, you are more than capable of handling such a job. You have all the skills and it appears that you know have a beautiful woman behind you also," he said.

"Ziva?" Tony mumbled.

"The lovely Ziva. Are you keeping your relationship secret for the moment?" he asked.

"I haven't thought about it," he said.

"You have a contract on your head, Anthony," he said.

"I don't want Ziva in the line of fire, Duck," he said.

"The best way to keep her out of the line of fire is to keep her close to you, otherwise she will take unwise risks," suggested Ducky.

"You're right. Thanks, Duck."

"You're welcome, Deputy Director DiNozzo," he said with a smile.

Ducky checked his wounds and changed his bandages.

"Well, I need to be in MTAC," Tony said as he yawned. "I promised to talk to Monyhan today."

Tony got up and started towards the door stopping and turning: "Duck, I've miss you."

"The feeling is mutual, Anthony," said Ducky.

Monyhan was on the MTAC screen looking concerned, if not exhausted, when Tony entered and got into view, his expression perked up.

"I have two potential moles for you, Deputy Director," he said.

"Gerry, it's still me, Tony," Tony corrected him.

"You're like a big boss now. I'm a little put off by it, Tony" he said.

"Me, too," he smiled.

"Sure you are," he laughed.

"Who are the potential moles?" Tony asked.

"Agent Russo, who has been living high off the hog lately, and an Agent Davidson, who has an offshore account in the British Virgin Isle, going to keep them both in a cell until…"

"Until I get there. I'll be on a Gulfstream headed to Naples this evening," he said then he made the cut the feed gesture.

"You'll need a protection detail," Vance said, who had entered MTAC while Tony was talking to Naples.

"So you want to pick it for me?" Tony asked.

"Gibbs and David will do," he said.

"I'll let them know."

"I'll have the Gulfstream readied for use," said Vance.

"Thanks Leon," he said.

"You're looking refreshed this morning," Vance said.

"I feel it. I want to put this mole hunt to bed, so I can get myself moved properly to DC," he said.

"Good to have you, Tony," Vance smiled.

Gibbs, Ziva, and Tony entered the Gulfstream. As Ziva and Gibbs settled in Tony went to the cockpit to talk to the pilot and co-pilot.

"Gentlemen, I would appreciate a nice easy ride," Tony said.

"Yes, sir," said the pilot.

"They'll be a free dinner at Davio's," Tony said.

"Really? I heard that's an expensive restaurant," said co-pilot.

"I guess I can expect a nice ride then. Let's go," said Tony.

Tony walked into the very back of the plane away from Gibbs and Ziva and immediately started reading the personnel files on the two agents. He knew Russo, even thought he was a good agent. He couldn't even remember meeting Davidson and he met everyone under his command in Naples at least once. _Who would the mole be, the man I knew and remember or the man I can't even remember meeting?_ _It has to be a talent to remain a question mark in someone's memory. _

Ziva came down to the back of the plane and checked on Tony.

"Have you taken your pills?" she asked.

"I don't remember," he answered, as he put the files down on the table in front of him.

She sat down across from him. For the first time he noticed that she wasn't wearing her diamond engagement ring.

"Where's your ring?" he asked.

"I gave that back to Ray last night," she stated it nonchalantly.

"Okay, sweet cheeks, I'll bite: did you intend on seducing me last night when you came into Vance's office?" he asked with a smile.

A Cheshire grin appeared on her face then she said: "I have no idea what you are talking about."

He looked down at the files then picked them up and handed them to Ziva.

"I want you and Gibbs to review their files. You and he will start to interrogate both men. Decide on a plan of action. If I think it will help, I will step in and take over an interview, but other than that it's in your hands," he said.

"You trust me, yes?" she said

"With my life," he replied.

She stood up with the files: "I will let Gibbs know."

The landed at the naval base in Naples. A car was waiting or them to immediately take them to the NCIS facility. Before getting off the plane, Tony popped a couple of pain pills. His ribs were killing him and his side ached. One look at him and Gibbs could see he was in pain. He leaned close to Ziva and whispered: "Take care of him. He's in pain and dead on his feet."

Ziva fell into step right beside Tony and got into the back of the SUV with him.

"I'm Agent Nichols."

"Okay, Nichols, take us to Monyhan," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," he said.

The SUV pulled away and sped the short distance to the NCIS facility. In that short distance Tony fell soundly asleep.

"Gibbs," Ziva drew his attention.

"Do they have some place for DiNozzo to stay?" he asked Nichols.

"Yes, sir."

"Drive them there. I'll start the interrogation," he said then he got out.

In the back of the SUV Ziva moved Tony so that his head now rested on her shoulder. He didn't wake but settled comfortably on her. _We have wasted too many years apart. I will not let that happen again. _

When Tony woke up he was in his underwear in a bed with Ziva sleeping beside him in her underwear asleep.

"Okay, that must have been some freaking interrogation," said Tony.

Without opening her eyes, she responded: "The pain pills put you out cold. Gibbs started interrogations. He believes our mole is Hendricks. Russo merely likes to live high on the hog and had a relative leave him money lately. Now go back to sleep, my hairy butt."

She curled herself up closed to him.

"I love you, Ziva David," he said softly.

"Me, too."

"Okay, I'll accept me, too," he said.

This brought a smile to Ziva's lips.

Chapter Eight

Tony chose Armani for his little talk with Hendricks. With his black Armani, white shirt, and black silk tie on, he walked into the interrogation room to speak to an arrogant Special Agent William Hendricks. Tony smiled at him. It was a friendly smile, not meant to provoke or intimidate. He unbuttoned his jacket, pulled out the chair across from Hendricks, sat down and cross his legs.

His body language was loose, friendly, confident, and non-threatening. Hendricks, who was handcuffed to the table that separated them, tried to take on a similar posture, but was unable to because of the cuffs.

"I'm sorry. It's rude of me to sit here with you cuffed like animal. We're civilized human beings, right?" Tony said.

"I hope so."

"Let's act civilized then," he smiled.

Tony took the keys for the cuff out of his pocket and uncuffed Hendricks. The man was now able to make himself comfortable.

"This is business not personal, right?" Tony said. "We are professionals, right?"

"I'd like to think so," Hendricks said.

"You'll have to forgive the last man who interrogated you. From what I've heard he doesn't get out of his basement too often. He's kind of scary," smiled Tony. "I'm Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

"William Hendricks."

"See, I feel like we're getting somewhere already, that we have an understanding between us," said Tony.

In the observation room Ziva looked at Gibbs, who was smiling. Over the years he had seen his former senior field agent take on many personas in an interrogation, this one was new.

"He is acting un-Tony like," said Ziva.

"No, I just think he's added tricks since we last worked with him, Ziva. He's added some new shadings and colors to his bag of tricks," said Gibbs.

Back in the interrogation room, Tony yawned.

"Excuse me. I had a late night last. I was with this crazy chick. I swear she was going to break me," he said then nonchalantly stood and looked on the two way mirror and winked.

Ziva in the observation room blushed, while Gibbs shook his head.

Tony stretched out his body then he sat back down.

"No problem. We've all been there," said Hendricks with a smile.

Slowly, Tony had been giving Hendricks the impression that they were equals, that Hendricks even had a little superiority over him.

"You've done some remarkable work here to stay undetected for so long. It's takes skills, real skill. You've must have made a fortune for your trouble," said Tony.

"Are you trying to get me to admit guilt?" smiled Hendricks.

"Please, don't. I'm sorry. I wouldn't do that unless a lawyer was here for you. I just wanted to talk. Do you want me to get a JAG lawyer for you? One is available," said Tony.

"No, that's okay. I trust you," smiled Hendricks. "Anyways, I'll be able to afford a better lawyer than JAG when the time comes."

"Great. We should make arrangements to transfer you to the US in a day or two. You can hire a lawyer then," he said.

"Thanks," smiled Hendricks.

Tony took a deep breath then sighed. He uncrossed his legs and sat up and shook his head. A look of great concern crossed his face.

"I forgot you won't be able to get a lawyer then," he said with concern. "We'll have to work something else out for you."

"Why?" asked Hendricks sound unconcerned.

"Gitmo is technically US land but not really. You know how it is, right?" he said to Hendricks. "But, at least, you'll have sun and warm weather before they execute you, right?"

Hendricks' eyes widen.

"What?"

"You know execute you for treason to the United States of an America. You know section 110, article three of the US Constitution. Treason against your country. Hendricks, babe, you are a traitor. You sold secrets, got people killed, shit like that," smiled Tony. "How do you want it: needle, rope, or bullet? I'd go with bullet, a nice firing squad. It's the romantic in me. Did you know that there is one blank among the live rounds, so those who volunteer can rational that they shot you with the blank if they want."

"You're not killing me. I haven't given up any information to help you. You need me. I bet you have a deal for me," said Hendricks.

"Haven't you ever heard of making an example of someone? Hendricks, you are the example for the next mole we catch. I know there has to be at least six or seven. The next one we catch will know we are serious about this because you'll be dead," smiled Tony.

In the observation room, the two agents watched on along with Monyhan.

"Now that is just mean," said Gibbs as he watched Hendricks start to sweat.

"He doesn't mean it, does it, Gibbs?" asked Ziva.

"He sounds like he means it," said Gibbs.

"He can be scary," said Monyhan.

Hendricks's chair suddenly got very uncomfortable for him.

"You are playing with me," said Hendricks.

"Listen, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo would play with you. That's how he got information. He got into people's heads and ran around like a rat in their skull. But Deputy Director Anthony DiNozzo doesn't play. I don't need to play. I need to get results. Your death is a result and it will allow me to break the next one in your seat without getting a sweat up," stated Tony.

"How about a deal?" asked Hendricks.

"Okay, here it is: you die and I catch another mole. I'm thinking Hawaii or San Diego next. Haven't really made up my mind," Tony said.

His smartphone rang.

"Hold on, let me get this," said Tony.

He pulled his smartphone out and answered it.

"DiNozzo," he said.

"Callen. I've got the DC mole," Callen stated.

"You know you are good. Give me the name," said DiNozzo.

"Special Agent Zach Rosehill."

"Thanks, G," he said and hung up.

Tony looked at Hendricks and smiled. It was a big bright smile. It was the smile of a man who won.

"Special Agent Zach Rosehill is the mole in DC. Now it's time we get you to Gitmo to die, so I can interrogate him," said Tony.

"I'll tell you everything you want. I did this for money not for ideals or shit like that. I did this for the money. What do you want to know?" he asked Tony, who turned and looked at the two way mirror.

In the observation room, Gibbs chuckled, Ziva smiled, and Monyhan laughed.

"Son-of-a-bitch broke him," said Gibbs.

"Of course, he is Tony, added Ziva.

"Yeah, let's hope this bastard knows everything," said Monyhan.

Hendricks gave up the names and locations of the remaining six moles. What he did not know was who was behind it and who out the contract out on his life and the Director's. Within hours they were back on the Gulfstream and were headed back to DC to squeeze information out of Rosehill.

"We still do not know who hired Ben Lev," said Ziva.

"We will," said Tony as he sipped an orange juice.

Gibbs noticed he grit his teeth when he adjusted himself in his chair.

"Ziva, pain meds for DiNozzo," said Gibbs.

"I don't want pain meds," said Tony.

"Gibbs is right. The less pain you fell, the quicker you will heal. You should be resting in bed not flying around interviewing suspected moles," she said then handed him two pills.

"I might as well say goodnight after I take these pills," said Tony.

"Do not worry, Ahuvi, I will make you comfortable," said Ziva.

"Goodnight, Gibbs," he said then he popped the two pills into his mouth and chased them down with the rest of his orange juice.

"Let's go to the back of the plane and get you comfortable on the sofa," Ziva said.

"Gibbs," Tony whined.

"Go with the woman, DiNozzo," ordered Gibbs. "She's in charge of you."

Ziva took him by the hand and led him to the back of the plane and settled him comfortably on a long sofa. She then grabbed a blanket from an overheard compartment, as he stretched his legs out and out his hand back.

"You don't want to lie down?" she asked him.

"If I lie down then you don't fit on the sofa with me," he said then raised his right arm so that she could curl up beside him.

She sat down on the sofa, settled herself under his right arm, covered them with a blanket, and then placed her head on his chest. Even if she didn't sleep, she could stay like this for hours.

"Sleep, Tony," she said.

"Yeah, I think I will."

"I like that you listen to me without a fight," she said.

"I'm not fool to fight with you, my little ninja," he smiled.

They arrived at NCIS HQ refreshed from having slept most of the flight. With Gibbs in the lead, they entered the elevator and headed up to the bullpen.

"I'm thinking of letting Callen interrogate Rosehill," Tony said.

"You want to corroborate the names with Rosehill," said Gibbs.

"Yeah. We get the names out of Rosehill, too, then roll up the network and open one of the bastards knows the name of the man or woman behind this," he said.

Ding, the elevator door opened. They could hear the voices of Kensi, Callen, and McGee coming from the bullpen. As they entered the bullpen Stan was seated doing work, while Callen, Kensi, and McGee milled about McGee's desk and Ray Cruz sat at Ziva's desk.

"Ziva, we need to talk," said Ray, as he stood.

"Unless you have information for NCIS, I don't want to speak to you," she stated.

"You owe me," he said.

"Really, you owe me?" Tony mocked him as he looked at Ray.

Ray got up from Ziva's chair.

"Stay out of this, DiNozzo," said Ray.

"Deputy Director DiNozzo," said Tony.

Ray's right hand came out fast, clean and hard hitting Tony on the jaw and putting him down on the floor. With a combination of training and angry, Ziva gave Ray a kick to the gut bending him over then a twirling savant kick sending him onto his ass hard.

The first person to Ray was Callen, who pulled his arm in an arm lock and escorted him out of the building. Gibbs helped Tony up.

"That hurt," growled Tony.

"He is gone," Ziva stated.

"Still hurt," he said rubbing his jaw. "I'd like to meet him one on one someday when I am ready for a fight."

"You've won, DiNozzo, so let it slide," smiled Gibbs. "Sometimes it's just best to take the high road."

Ziva checked his jaw by gently touching him with her right hand.

"You will live," she said. "I will take care of you later."

"Maybe I owe him after all," he smiled. "I need to see the Director.

Vance and Tony sat at his conference table having coffee. Tiny had to admit that they man looked tired. At this point all of NCIS needed vacation from the stress, except Gibbs.

"I want my family back home, Tony, and I don't want constant guards," he said.

"I know, Leon."

"We got the moles. Now we need to catch Ben Lev and find out who is behind the moles," Vance said.

"Other than you, the SecNav has the influence to assign agents, or at least request them to be assigned," said Tony.

"It's not the SecNav. I've know him for years."

"What about someone in his office?" asked Tony.

"We need proof in order to start investigating the SecNav's office," said Vance. "We both could end up at dog catchers if that goes wrong."

"Then there's the chance that the mastermind behind this gets away," said Tony.

"Hopefully, Rosehill can help us," said Vance.

Tony watched from the observation room as Callen worked Rosehill. While Callen worked on Rosehill Kensi and Nell packed up to return to LA. Once they were done with Rosehill the mole network within NCIS would be picked up, regardless if they knew who was behind it our not. They couldn't afford for anymore information to be sold.

Anyway, they still had the hired killed to find. Ben Lev used a delegate the first time, he tried to kill Tony and Vance. The next time he'd to in himself. He was a professional and a professional hated to fail.

If they could capture Ben Lev alive then they might have a chance at the identity of the mastermind behind it all. Callen had Rosehill sweating. The man was nearing a breakdown. Once he snapped then they had him and once they had him, they were one step closer to normalcy.

Tony watched closer. Callen's body language showed nothing, but Rosehill's spoke volumes. His shoulders were slumped; he was sweating; and he didn't know what to do with his hands. The man had lost and was minutes away from given Callen everything he asked for.

Tony smiled. _Moles down. Contract killer up next then mastermind. Yeah, I'm pretty damned good at my job._

Chapter Nine.

Rosehill didn't know who was the man behind the curtain, but he knew the names of the other moles, just like Hendricks, and he added one other piece of the puzzle: the mole system was designed so that the moles could rat each other out but not the mastermind. He or she was just too damned smart for that.

"Kens, Callen, Nell, you did great. Take a couple of days when you get back to LA before you get back to work," Tony said.

"When will we be seeing you out in LA?" asked Callen.

"You never know. I go where Vance points me from now on," he said.

They got on the elevator to catch their ride to the airport. The agents from the OSP were gone. In twelve hours all the outstanding moles would be picked up and debriefed then sent off to prison.

Vance came down from his office and looked at Tony. He knew the man well enough to know that he was running on empty.

"Deputy Director," Vance said with a smile.

Ziva noticed that McGee cringed when he heard Tony's newest title. Stan looked up and smiled. He liked Tony and didn't hold his success against him.

"Director," Tony said.

"You need rest," he said.

"Yes, sir, and I need a good meal," said Tony.

Gibbs stood up: "DiNozzo and David, follow me. I've got steaks, beer, corn and potatoes at home and spare bedrooms. I owe you a meal, Tony."

"Go, Tony. It sounds tempting," said Vance.

Gibbs grilled the steaks over his fireplace, while the corn on the cob and the potatoes cooked in the kitchen. Tony and Ziva enjoyed a beer while Gibbs cooked. It felt good to relax.

"You've done good, DiNozzo," said Gibbs as he turned the New York sirloin stakes.

"Thanks, Gibbs."

Ziva gave him a kiss on the cheek then rested her body up against his. Gibbs looked at them with a lifted eyebrow.

"Not part of your team, Gibbs, so I'm not dating a coworker. What I am doing isn't against company policy, officially. Okay, it is frowned on," he admitted.

"You two just be careful," said Gibbs.

"We will, Gibbs," said Ziva. "I don't intend on losing him this time."

Suddenly a flash bang grenade broke the window, it the floor and went off. It was like getting hit in the head with solid light. Tony went down trying to fight his way though the effect.

Ziva ended up down no the floor with him. She struggled to get on top of Tony to protect him but it was useless. Someone pushed her off of him and then stuck him with a needle and dragged him away. By the time her head cleared, as well as Gibbs' head, Tony was gone.

"Oh, my God, Gibbs, Tony is gone!" screamed Ziva.

Gibbs forced his eyes to focus and head to clear. He looked and saw that it was only Ziva and him. Whoever tossed the flash bangs had taken Tony. They dragged him out right from underneath their noses.

"God damn it," he growled.

When Tony woke up from whatever junk was in the needle, he was tied to a hard wooden chair in the middle of unfurnished room somewhere in Washington DC. He looked around the room. The windows had moving blankets covering them and tightly taped on with duct tape. There was nothing on the walls, nothing in the room, except him and the chair.

A tall dark hair man with a face that fell somewhere between handsome and ugly walked into the room and looked at Tony.

"Ahh, sleeping beauty awakes," he said in a thick Israeli accent.

"Let me guess - Benjamin Lev."

"Very good. You're not stupid," he said.

"How come you can use contractions and Ziva cannot?" he smiled.

"Ahhh, you think you are charming, I like that," he said. "I have been paid to kill but first I am supposed extract information from you. This can be easy or unpleasant for you. Which do you chose?"

"I chose to do it like I've done everything in my life- unpleasant."

"That makes more work for me, you know. I did not go into this business because I like to work," he said.

"I'm sorry. Make it hurt even more than normal to punish me," Tony smiled.

"Well, I'm going to dinner. I'll shall be back tomorrow. If you have to go to the bathroom, pee your pants," Lev said then left.

"One of these days I want be taken by someone who believes fine living is a torture," sighed Tony.

Vance and Ziva entered MTAC and waited for the image of Eli David to appear. The man looked both bored and annoyed at the same time until he noticed his daughter standing beside Vance.

"Ziva, we have not spoken for years. What is it you want from me?" he asked.

"I need a favor, Aba," she said. "Ben Lev has Tony. I know that you must use him for special job, even though he is a rogue. I don't care if you have to bribe him, threaten him, or plead with him, but I want Tony back. I need him back."

"You are close with this man, DiNozzo?" he asked.

"I love him."

"I thought you were going to marry this CIA tool," he said.

"It is Tony that I love. Please, Aba, for me, for your future grandchildren, rescue him," she pleaded.

"I shall consider if you agree two things: I expect Hebrew names for my grandchildren and I expect them to be raised Jewish since their mother is Jewish. Oh, and they should visit Israel," he said. "Can you agree to that?"

"Yes, Aba," she said fighting back tear.

"Let me see what I can do," he said and the screen went blank.

"Hebrew names and raised Jewish. I am glad DiNozzo has a say," smiled Vance.

"The woman raises the children," she tried to smile.

Ben Lev entered the room looking amused. It was early in the morning. Tony was stiff, scared, and had to go to the bathroom, but he refused to ruin a good suit.

"I was having a delightful dinner last night with a very expensive date and I get a call from someone I think we both know. This man says to me that I have his future son in law and if he is harmed all of Mossad will hunt me down, bring me back to Israel and then slowly kill me over a period of months," he said.

"Mossad?" Tony said.

"Deputy Director Eli David is a man of his word. You are lucky his daughter loves you," he said then he took a switch blade out and cut Tony loose. "And you are a lucky man that I know when fight and I know when to compromise."

"Yeah yeah, do you have a bathroom because I have to piss real bad?" Tony hissed.

"Down the hall."

Gibbs put the steak, baked potato and corn on the cob down in front of Tony and a plate in front of Ziva then he went to retrieve his own plate.

"So I was told that Eli David thinks of me as his son in law to be," Tony said to Ziva.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she cut into her steak. "How do you like the names Matan or Shia?"

"Nice," he said. "So when are we getting married?"

"That is up to you and when you get the courage up to ask," she said.

Gibbs sat down with his steak dinner.

"Lev wouldn't tell you who is behind the moles or the contract," stated Gibbs.

"Nope. I assume it is an individual and not a group, organization or syndicate because he was more afraid of Mossad then them," he said.

"We'll get the bastard eventually. Vance said is putting together an interagency task force with the SecNav's okay to find whoever it was," Gibbs said as he shoveled some steak into his mouth.

"Oh, Gibbs, Ziva needs two weeks off next month," said Tony.

"Why?" he asked.

"She's getting married," he said.

Ziva dropped her fork and looked at Tony with an expression of shock and joy on her face.

"We are getting married?" she asked.

"If Ben Lev is smart enough to listen to your father then I'm thinking I should listen to him," smiled Tony.

"I haven't said yes to you, have I?" she said.

"Listen Vance owes me time to relocate to DC. We can get married, have a honeymoon and find somewhere to live," he said then he looked at Gibbs. "You better make it three weeks."

"DiNozzo, don't push it," growled Gibbs.

"Come on, Gibbs, how many times do you get married in this life?" asked Tony, who then paused and smiled. "The answer for you is four, but I'm not you."

Ziva giggled, which made both Gibbs and Tony look over at her.

"Okay three weeks," he said. "I'll have to put up with Stan and McGee for three weeks."

"Thanks, Gibbs," he said then he looked over at Ziva. "So, will you marry me?"

"Ken, yes, si, and yes in every language."

"DiNozzo, don't screw this up," he said.

"I won't, Gibbs," Tony said as he leaned over and kissed his wife to be.


End file.
